Columbia October 2013

KNIGH T S O F C O L U M B U S

O CTOBER 2013

COLUMBIA

“Be Protectors of God’s Gifts!”

The 131st Supreme Convention San Antonio – Aug. 6-8, 2013

Professional Excellence Defined 2013

A commitment to excellence, outstanding service and the highest ethical standards.

These are traits of all Knights of Columbus field agents, but the dedication of the agents listed here has earned them membership in the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) for 2013. MDRT is an international organization that recognizes the top one percent of financial professionals in the world. We salute these men for their devotion to making a difference for life.

Pierre Albert — Hearst, Ontario Blaine Anhel — Tappen, British Columbia Randall Atkins* — Punta Gorda, Florida Michael Aun II — St. Cloud, Florida Ben Baca* — Whittier, California Michael Barrett — Annapolis, Maryland Larry Bate — Carthage, Texas Mark Bateman — Towson, Maryland Cameron Beddome — Red Deer, Alberta Robert Abbate Justin “JJ” Deges Virginia Beach, Virginia Hill City, Kansas Jeff Beller — Norfolk, Nebraska Joseph Biltz — Cottonwood, Idaho Court of the Table Court of the Table Daniel Bouchard* — Hammonds Plains, Member Member Nova Scotia (Four Consecutive Years) Tyler Bouchard — Red Deer, Alberta Jason Bramley — Bloomington, Illinois Adam Bruna — Belleville, Kansas Darrell Hinkebein — Nixa, Missouri William Buchta — Grand Island, Nebraska Larry Hoelscher — Jefferson City, Missouri Joseph Butler — Auburn, Massachusetts John Hoolick — Hanover Township, Pennsylvania Robert Callaway* — Laurel, Maryland David Imbriani* — Monroe Township, New Jersey Nicholas Calvino — Plymouth, Massachusetts Joe Jackson* — Denver, Colorado Robert Canter* — Upper Marlboro, Maryland Kurt Jackson — Madison, Nebraska Jeffrey Carvalho — Fremont, California Aaron Jelinek* — Prior Lake, Minnesota Cleo Castillo — Winnipeg, Manitoba Douglas Kelly — Omaha, Nebraska John Cesta — West Palm Beach, Florida Chuck Larter* — Spencerville, Ontario Quintin Chausse — Caledonia, Ontario Brian Lawandus — Safety Harbor, Florida Wayne Cherney* — Devils Lake, North Dakota William Lewchuk* — Calgary, Alberta Pablo Contreras — Dinuba, California Ernesto Literte — Torrance, California Ivan Delabruere — Milton, Florida Mark Locke — Olathe, Kansas Joseph DeMarco — Vero Beach, Florida Michael Lodato — Montrose, Colorado Joseph DiCalogero — Walpole, Massachusetts Michael McCabe — Albuquerque, New Mexico Brian McGivern — Abbotsford, British Columbia John DiCalogero — East Walpole, Massachusetts Michael McGranahan — Fullerton, California Robert DiCalogero — Canton, Massachusetts Lawrence Messer — Westminster, Maryland Glen Dobmeier — Humboldt, Saskatchewan RJ Meyer — Spearville, Kansas Michael Doss — Long Beach, California Gregory Miskiman — Calgary, Alberta Mickey Dougherty — Denham Springs, Louisiana Ric Moore — Edmond, Oklahoma Denis Duval — Garson, Ontario Gabriel Moya — Albuquerque, New Mexico Jon Dunham — Lincoln, Nebraska Michael Mullin — Brooklin, Ontario William Fahy — Woodbury, New Jersey James Nestmann — Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Marnie Fleming — Saint John, New Brunswick Joseph Noa — Duluth, Georgia Richard Fuentes — Lebanon, New Jersey Timothy Nowak — Ogallala, Nebraska Raffaele Gerace — Prosper, Texas Douglas Nurenberg — Saint Johns, Michigan Daniel Gimpel — Sarnia, Ontario Edward O'Keefe* — Abingdon, Maryland James Grabinski* — Walden, New York Eric Ottemann — Mandeville, Louisiana Brian Graham* — Kensington, Maryland Kevin Paish* — St. Albert, Alberta Wade Greif — Manhattan, Kansas Kevin Patterson* — Grand Blanc, Michigan Carlos Gutierrez — San Leandro, California Craig Pfeifer — Wayne, Nebraska Jerry Hayes — Sarasota, Florida Neil Pfeifer* — Norfolk, Nebraska Mark Hedge — Butler, Ohio Alan Pires — Mississauga, Ontario Luke Henry — Gardner, Kansas

Vincent Polis* — Lewiston, Idaho Jeffrey Portelance — Garson, Ontario Keith Praski — Angola, Indiana Mark Primeau — Unionville, Virginia Henry Rangel — Cypress, Texas Nate Raso — Sandy, Utah Daniel Reed — Ellsworth, Kansas Darin Reed — Ellis, Kansas Stephen Regan — Ooltewah, Tennessee Bobby Renaud — Sudbury, Ontario James Rolleri — Collierville, Tennessee Joe Sandoval — Los Angeles, California Ronald Sandoval — San Gabriel, California Sonny Sangemino* — Windsor, Ontario Benjamin Santo — Milford, Nebraska Michael Scholz — Bertrand, Nebraska Gilles Seguin — North Bay, Ontario James Seideman* — Lubbock, Texas Daniel Sheehan — Neoga, Illinois Thomas Sitzmann — Pueblo, Colorado David Soukup — Leavenworth, Kansas Joseph Spinelli III — Tallahassee, Florida James Stachura — Eau Claire, Wisconsin Phillip Stackowicz — South Bend, Indiana Mark Stallbaumer — Hanover, Kansas John Stewart — Bourne, Massachusetts Leroy Stoecker* — Houston, Texas John Stoeckinger* — Lincoln, Nebraska Jeffrey Storey — Alhambra, California Stan Strope — Columbia, Missouri Blake Stubbington — Edmonton, Alberta Doug Supak* — La Grange, Texas Jody Supak* — La Grange, Texas James Swartz — Harbor Beach, Michigan Darrell Swope — Winder, Georgia Young Tran — Portland, Oregon Daniel Turnwald — Glandorf, Ohio Onil Vienneau — Bas-Caraquet, New Brunswick Anthony Viscardi — Baltimore, Maryland Kevin Weber — Gretna, Nebraska Trey Welker — Edmond, Oklahoma James White — Palm Beach Gardens, Florida Keith Whiteaker — Lehigh Acres, Florida Michael Wilson — Hacienda Heights, California William Wisniewski — Chicopee, Massachusetts Joseph Wolf* — Harker Heights, Texas Mark Yubeta — San Clemente, California Robert Ziegler — Fort Lauderdale, Florida * Denotes MDRT Life Members

There is no more highly rated life insurer in North America.

COLUMBIA PUBLISHER Knights of Columbus ________ SUPREME OFFICERS Carl A. Anderson SUPREME KNIGHT Most Rev. William E. Lori, S.T.D. SUPREME CHAPLAIN Dennis A. Savoie DEPUTY SUPREME KNIGHT Charles E. Maurer Jr. SUPREME SECRETARY Logan T. Ludwig SUPREME TREASURER John A. Marrella SUPREME ADVOCATE ________

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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS OCTOBER 2013 ♦ VOLUME 93 ♦ NUMBER 10

COLUMBIA

EDITORIAL Alton J. Pelowski EDITOR Andrew J. Matt MANAGING EDITOR Patrick Scalisi SENIOR EDITOR Krista Tullock COPY EDITOR ________

The Supreme Officers and Knights of Columbus Board of Directors gather in San Antonio for the 131st Supreme Convention.

Venerable Michael McGivney (1852-90) Apostle to the Young, Protector of Christian Family Life and Founder of the Knights of Columbus, Intercede for Us. ________ HOW TO REACH US MAIL COLUMBIA 1 Columbus Plaza New Haven, CT 06510-3326 ADDRESS CHANGES 203-752-4580 OTHER INQUIRIES 203-752-4398 FAX 203-752-4109 CUSTOMER SERVICE 1-800-380-9995 E-MAIL columbia@kofc.org INTERNET kofc.org/columbia ________ Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to men 18 years of age or older who are practical (that is, practicing) Catholics in union with the Holy See. This means that an applicant or member accepts the teaching authority of the Catholic Church on matters of faith and morals, aspires to live in accord with the precepts of the Catholic Church, and is in good standing in the Catholic Church.

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Papal Greetings Greetings from Pope Francis sent to the 131st Supreme Convention by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.

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Supreme Convention Highlights Photos, news, homilies and remarks from the 131st Supreme Convention in San Antonio.

20 Report of the Supreme Knight Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson’s annual report on the Order’s charitable work and continued growth.

COVER: Thinkstock

________ Copyright © 2013 All rights reserved ________ ON THE COVER The arches of Mission San Juan Capistrano, one of five Spanish missions established along the San Antonio River during the 18th century.

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Protecting God’s Gifts Greetings from Pope Francis sent to the Supreme Convention

by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone

HIS HOLINESS Pope Francis was pleased to learn dignity of labor and the demands of social justice, and that from 6 to 8 August 2013 the 131st Supreme Con- the advancement of the Church’s mission. In fidelity vention of the Knights of Columbus will be held in San to this founding vision, the Knights continue to play Antonio, Texas. He has asked me to convey his warm an outstanding role in helping Catholic men to regreetings to all in attendance, together with the assur- spond to their vocation to be “protectors of creation, ance of his closeness in prayer. He has also asked me to protectors of God’s plan inscribed in nature, protecexpress his esteem for the ideals of faith and fraternity tors of one another and of the environment” (Homily, embodied by your Order, its commitment to the 19 March 2013).

Church’s mission, and the many works of charity and Among the first acts of his pontificate, the Holy Faevangelical witness ther wished to add the undertaken by the name of Saint Joseph to Knights in their local each of the Eucharistic Councils, parishes and Prayers of the Mass. It is As the present Year of Faith communities. In these his hope that the Knights, first months of his in venerating the memory draws to its close, the Holy Father pontificate, he has of this great Saint, will asks each Knight to rekindle been comforted by the beg his intercession for messages of prayerful the protection of the through personal prayer, ongoing encouragement and many blessings which the spiritual solidarity Lord has poured out catechesis and works of charity, which he has received upon them and their famthe light of faith. from so many Knights ilies, and work with ever and their families. greater commitment for His Holiness was the spread of the Gospel, pleased to learn that the conversion of hearts this year’s Supreme Convention has drawn its theme and the renewal of the temporal order in Christ (cf.

— “Be Protectors of God’s Gifts” — from his homily Apostolicam Actuositatem, 7). Conscious of the specific at the Mass inaugurating his papal ministry, which by responsibility which the lay faithful have for the a happy coincidence fell on the Solemnity of Saint Church’s mission, he invites each Knight, and every Joseph. As protector of the Holy Family, the humble Council, to bear witness to the authentic nature of carpenter of Nazareth is a model of the manly virtues marriage and the family, the sanctity and inviolable of quiet strength, integrity and fidelity which the dignity of human life, and the beauty and truth of Knights of Columbus have sought to preserve, culti- human sexuality. In this time of rapid social and culvate and pass on to new generations of Catholic men. tural changes, the protection of God’s gifts cannot fail It was in fact as a protective association that your to include the affirmation and defense of the great patOrder was founded in the late nineteenth century, in rimony of moral truths taught by the Gospel and conresponse to the need to promote the material and spir- firmed by right reason, which serve as the bedrock of itual welfare of working men and their families, the a just and well-ordered society.

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CNS photo/Paul Haring

Pope Francis waves as he arrives to lead his general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican June 26.

For this reason His Holiness once more expresses his appreciation of the clear public witness offered by the Knights of Columbus in protecting the right and duty of believers to participate responsibly, on the basis of their deepest convictions, in the life of society.

In his Encyclical Lumen Fidei, he pointed out that faith, precisely because it embraces God’s truth, sheds light on the authentic meaning and purpose of life, strengthens the bonds uniting individuals and communities, and thus serves as a trustworthy foundation for building a just and humane society (cf. 50-51). As the present Year of Faith draws to its close, the Holy Father asks each Knight to rekindle through personal prayer, ongoing catechesis and works of charity, the light of faith — Lumen Fidei — which expands our horizons, opens our hearts to love and guides our steps as individuals, families and nations along the path of hope to which God constantly guides us and all of human history.

With these sentiments, His Holiness commends the deliberations of the 131st Supreme Convention to the loving prayers of Mary, Mother of the Church. Assuring the members of the Supreme Council, and all the Knights and their families, of a grateful remembrance in his prayers, he cordially imparts his Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of joy and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Please accept my own prayerful good wishes for the occasion.

Yours sincerely,

Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone Secretary of State

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131st Supreme Convention

Called to Be Protectors 131st Supreme Convention in San Antonio celebrates record-setting charity and service and spurs Knights to protect God’s gifts, including faith, life and liberty

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athering in a city steeped in 300 years of Catholic history, more than 2,000 Knights of Columbus, family members and guests attended the 131st Supreme Convention in San Antonio Aug. 6-8. Some 90 archbishops and bishops — 11 cardinals among them — and scores of K of C chaplains and other clergy members were among the participants, arriving from throughout North and Central America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and Europe.

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The theme of this year’s convention — “Be Protectors of God’s Gifts!” — was adopted from Pope Francis’ first homily, which was given on the Solemnity of St. Joseph, March 19.

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone greeted the convention in a letter on behalf of Pope Francis, noting how much the Order’s mission — including the Knights’ “many works of charity and evangelical witness” — dovetails with the Holy Father’s vision for the Church (see page 2).

Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson addresses delegates and guests during the opening business session of the 131st Supreme Convention in San Antonio Aug. 6.

The cardinal noted that Pope Francis “invites each Knight, and every council, to bear witness to the authentic nature of marriage and the family, the sanctity and inviolable dignity of human life, and the beauty and truth of human sexuality.” In so doing, “Knights … respond to their vocation to be ‘protectors of creation, protectors of God’s plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another …’”

Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson detailed the Order’s achievements in his annual report, underscoring how the Order’s ample fruits stem from its deep roots in charity (see page 20). “Charity has always been a defining characteristic of the Knights. … From the beginning, we have understood that God’s gifts include the poor, the suffering, the marginalized,” he said. “God is love, and his love is also a gift we have protected and shared abundantly over the past year.”

The supreme knight announced that charitable contributions had grown for the 13th consecutive year, while volunteer hours donated by Knights also reached a record high. K of C insurance in force surpassed a new milestone as well: $90 billion.

During the convention, Knights celebrated the recent establishment of two new councils in Ukraine and a round table in Lithuania, marking the Knights’ first international expansion since the Order chartered its first councils in Poland in 2006 (see page 16).

The annual awards session honored Knights for outstanding achievement during the past fraternal year (see page 17). Two inaugural K of C awards were also unveiled during the convention: the Caritas Award for extraordinary works of charity and the Saint Michael Award for exemplary lifetime service to the Order (see pages 12, 19).

The convention’s proceedings were grounded in faith and devotion, including large Masses that were celebrated each morning and the inauguration of the Order’s latest international Marian Prayer Program (see page 14). Convention participants could also visit a chapel dedicated to eucharistic adoration and had the opportunity to venerate the first-class relics of 38 Mexican martyrs and of Blessed John Paul II (see page 18).

Extended coverage of the 131st Supreme Convention can be found at kofc.org/convention.♦ OCTOBER 2013

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Opening Mass

‘Lights and Shadows’ EDITOR’S NOTE: Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, M.Sp.S., of San Antonio celebrated the 131st Supreme Convention’s opening Mass on Aug. 6, the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. The following text is excerpted from his homily.

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n the opening words of his homily at the welcoming ceremony for World Youth Day 2013 in Rio de Janeiro, Pope Francis said: “It is good for us to be here!” (cf. Lk 9:33) … These are also my sentiments this morning, my brother bishops, priests, Knights and family members! It is good for us to be here in the presence of the Lord, gathered from throughout the world.

My pilgrimage to Brazil was very festive, very reassuring, very exhausting! It was filled with lights and shadows. Gathering there with the Holy Father and more than 3 million believers on Copacabana beach was a very moving, very inspiring event. Rio is a beautiful city, but there are shadows as well — the favelas where the very poor live — in a country where there have been many recent protests against the government because of the worsening, desperate situation of so many of its citizens, who are our sisters and brothers.

There were days of sunshine and days of driving rain; days of lights and shadows — like every day of our lives. …

There is much light in our celebration this morning, and for this we thank and praise God. You represent more than 1.8 million Knights who, last year, contributed 70 million hours of service to charitable causes — including relief work after the devastating Oklahoma tornado and the tragic explosion in West, Texas. For this, we are all very grateful.

Your principles of charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism are vital for the Church and our nations throughout the world. Your guiding principles are beacons in the darkness, giving us light to see clearly on our pilgrim way as disciples of the risen Lord.

I affirm what Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson has said about San Antonio being a special place for you to hold your Supreme Convention because, during our nearly 300 years of history, “evangelization, immigration and the quest for freedom” have shaped this community. Besides our historic San Fernando Cathedral and the four missions — all established in the early 18th century, well before the American Revolution, and all still functioning as vibrant parish communities — the Church here is alive, our people are faithfilled, and we are growing. These are stories of the light.

There are also many shadows. They are not only found here in South Texas, but also throughout the United States — and in many other parts of the world. One of the most difficult issues is the constant migration of peoples, often because of violence in their homelands, lack of employment, deep poverty and, indeed, great misery. Pope Francis recently reminded us: “The Church is mother, and her moth-

erly attention is expressed with special tenderness and closeness to those who are obliged to flee their own country and exist between rootlessness and integration.” During his visit to the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, he then spoke very movingly about the “globalization of indifference” regarding immigrants, whose plight, he said, was like a “painful thorn in my heart.”

The Holy See reports that, in 2012, there were some 16 million officially recognized refugees in the world and 28.8 million internally displaced persons. In addition, an estimated 21 million people have been trafficked, including 4.5 million for sexual exploitation and 14.2 million for what amounts to slave labor! Pope Francis says that God continues to ask us, “Where is your brother whose blood cries out to me?” (cf. Gen 4:9-10).

In our nation we are engaged in a very controversial debate about a painful and difficult issue: reforming our current immigration system that is clearly broken — putting 11 million or more of our sisters and brothers in jeopardy, fearful of being detained and deported, separated from their families. This is happening today on an unprecedented scale in our U.S. history. This is not a liberal or a conservative issue, a Democratic or a Republican issue — it is an issue for every patriot, every citizen, and every man or woman of faith. It is a human issue, a moral issue. We cannot be indifferent to it.

Especially here in South Texas we are very concerned about our undocumented brothers and sisters, especially those who have been separated from their families or are threatened daily with such separation. We need to bring the light of the Gospel into the hidden places — the desolate places — the neighborhoods and the detention centers. We will someday stand before God’s throne and will have to answer the Lord’s question: “Where is your brother? Your sister?”

My sisters and brothers, it is good for us to be here in the presence of the Lord. We have so much to be grateful for.

We thank God for his blessings, and we thank the Knights of Columbus for all of the good they have done. During my beautiful World Youth Day pilgrimage, I heard the Holy Father call the young people of the Church to action. He reminded them, “The life of Jesus is a life for others. It is a life of service.”

Now, even though a few of us may be a few years beyond being called “youth,” Pope Francis’ words still ring for us as a true challenge that shines with the light of the very principles of the Knights of Columbus: “Go. Do not be afraid.

Serve.” We stand firmly and generously in the light, but we must also confront the shadows, the darkness, that surrounds us. May Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patroness of the Americas, help us to know her Son better and become more faithful disciples of Jesus who is the light of the world!♦ OCTOBER 2013

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Opening Mass and Business Session

Clockwise from top left: Seminarians of the Archdiocese of San Antonio lead the procession. • Eleven cardinals, together with approximately 80 other bishops and archbishops and more than 100 priests, were present at the convention’s opening Mass Aug. 6. • The four state deputies of Mexico carry the Martyrs of Christ the King reliquary containing first-class relics of 25 saints and 13 blesseds — including six saints and three blesseds who were Knights — martyred during the persecution of the Church in Mexico in the 1920s. • An honor guard of more than 100 Fourth Degree Knights was present at the Mass. • The relics of the 38 Mexican martyrs are displayed. • Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York and Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl of Washington were among the concelebrants. • Fourth Degree Knights sit attentively during the liturgy.

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Clockwise from top: Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson addresses the Supreme Convention during the opening business session. • The Texas Department of Public Safety (Region 5) presents the national colors. • Supreme Director Alonso Tan of Luzon reads the greeting from the President of the Philippines. • Bishops, priests and guests recite together the prayer for the canonization of Father Michael J. McGivney.

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States Dinner

A WRITING FROM the early life of the Church that has always fascinated me is the Letter to Diognetus, where the author is describing to his friend what Christians are like. He says that they live in the same neighborhoods, speak the same language, dress like everybody else; but they do not kill their babies and they respect the marriage bond. Very quaint indeed. It is a little scary to think that the Diognetus letter could have been written last week.

In today’s world, we must promote the Catholic way of life that is increasingly alien in the secular world, where our concern about unborn children or the sacredness of marriage makes us appear quaint and even nettlesome. We need mentors: parents, grandparents, godparents, teachers, youth ministers and neighbors who are ready to pass on the faith.

Pope Francis is calling on us to embrace the vision of reality that is the Church’s faith, that values each and every human being, and that stresses our responsibility to love and serve each other, especially the most vulnerable in our midst. The word that Pope Francis repeats over and over is tenerezza — tenderness. On the feast of St. Joseph, in his inaugural Mass, the pope spoke to us about protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly and those in need, who are often the last we think about. He said, “We must not be afraid of goodness or tenderness.” And he pointed to the heart of Joseph, his tenderness which is not the virtue of the weak but a sign of strength of spirit and a capacity for concern and compassion, for genuine openness to others, for love.

Some people think that the Holy Father should talk more about abortion. I think he speaks of love and mercy to give people the context for the Church’s teaching on abortion. We oppose abortion, not because we are mean or old fashioned, but because we love people. And that is what we must show the world. …

Only love and mercy will open hearts that have been hardened by the individualism of our age.

— Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, O.F.M. Cap. Archbishop of Boston Keynote Address at States Dinner, Aug. 6 10

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WHEN WE ANNOUNCE the Gospel, we are proposing a “diet” to which much of our Western culture has grown unaccustomed, even allergic.

Our “diet” is centered on the Bread of Life, Jesus himself, truly present in the eucharistic species.

Transformed by this food, our daily diet becomes that of obedience to truth, the embrace of the cross and self-gift for the sake of world. For anyone more accustomed to a diet of selfishness and relativism, such a proposed diet would be impossible to swallow. The “stomach” recoils. Hence the negative and sometimes vitriolic response to the Gospel and the Church that we witness today.

What is to be done? I suggest two things. … The most effective way we have of proposing that diet we call the Gospel is to give witness to the joy that it brings us. Our world is living largely on the junk food of individualism and self-reliance, a diet that leaves one hungry and malnourished. By our joy, we invite those accustomed to this empty diet to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Ps 34:8), and in Christ to find true nourishment and real life.

Second, we need to pay close attention to our own daily diet, to avoid giving in to the constant temptation to nibble at the “junk food” that surrounds us. … May the Lord help each of us to choose as our food only him and the truth he reveals, and to avoid all else. Apart from Christ, nothing can satisfy.

— Archbishop Richard W. Smith of Edmonton, Alberta, President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

Clockwise from top left: Deputy Supreme Knight Dennis A. Savoie and his wife, Claudette, Archbishop Richard W. Smith of Edmonton, Alberta, and Archbishop Gérald Cyprien Lacroix of Québec wave flags of their home provinces during the States Dinner. • K of C leaders from the Philippines stand with Bishop Gerardo A. Alminaza, auxiliary of the Archdiocese of Jaro. • Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki of Lviv, Ukraine, and Archbishop Stefan Soroka of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Eparchy of Philadelphia walk to their seats on the dais. • Delegates and guests from the District of Columbia are pictured at the dinner. • Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, apostolic nuncio to the United States, and Cardinal James M. Harvey, archpriest of St. Paul Outside the Walls and former prefect of the papal household, join in singing the Pontifical Anthem during the States Dinner program.

I WOULD LIKE to take this occasion to sincerely thank the Knights of Columbus all over the world for the many projects, educational and relief assistance, social welfare, and other expressions of charitable works rendered as expressions of solidarity and service.

— Archbishop Jose S. Palma of Cebu President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines KNIGHTS of Columbus radiantly exemplify the genuine vocation of the laity in the Body of Christ, his Church. You have been protectors of God’s gifts, especially in defending the sacredness of the gift of life in the womb; the vulnerable gift of life in children with mental and physical handicaps; the gift of marriage, family, and religious freedom; God’s gift of vocation, especially to the priesthood and consecrated life; and God’s gift of the Church, as you are so refreshingly proud of and loyal to your Catholic religion.

— Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan Archbishop of New York, President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops OCTOBER 2013

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States Dinner

Newtown Heroes Receive First Caritas Awards THE 131ST SUPREME Convention unveiled a new award to recognize extraordinary works of charity and service.

Called the Caritas Award, the honor was bestowed upon Msgr. Robert Weiss, pastor of St. Rose of Lima Church in Newtown, Conn., and upon Newtown’s St. Virgilius Council 185, represented by Grand Knight Timothy Haas.

“Those we honor, like the Good Samaritan, treated their injured and suffering neighbors, classmates and friends with mercy and love,” said Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson, who conferred the award at the convention’s States Dinner.

Last December, the nation and the world watched in horror as a devastating elementary school shooting unfolded in Newtown that claimed the lives of 26 residents, most of them young children. In the heartbreaking work that began on Dec. 14, 2012, the day of the shootings, Msgr. Weiss and the Knights came together to offer spiritual and material support to the community, the victims and their families.

“We saw a great darkness, we saw evil visit our land,” Msgr. Weiss recounted, as he accepted the award, “but we saw light quickly overcome that darkness and goodness quickly overcome the evil. I want to thank all of you for the prayers that we received.… We realized that we were part of something bigger than ourselves; we were part of a universal Church. And your support and your continued prayers for us have made a difference in the lives most deeply impacted by this horrible tragedy.”

The first priority in the aftermath of the shooting was spiritual, and St. Virgilius Council responded swiftly. In a matter of hours, a prayer network was created that asked people to say a minimum of three Hail Marys for the victims and their families; the first responders and teachers; and the Newtown community. With the help of K of C websites, the effort gained international attention; more than 105,000 people

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Msgr. Robert Weiss, pastor of St. Rose of Lima Church in Newtown, Conn., and Grand Knight Timothy Haas of St. Virgilius Council 185 display the inaugural Caritas Awards, which were presented by the supreme knight and supreme chaplain. signed up, offering a total of more than 3.25 million prayers.

The Knights also served as ushers at eight funerals, mostly for children, and helped in the parish when it was overwhelmed with messages of condolence, the arrival of gifts from across the country, and other logistical challenges.

Caroline Previdi, one of the children killed, had been saving money to help with the council’s annual Christmas toy drive for children in need. In her honor, council members raised more than $70,000 for toys.

The new award was established earlier this year by a vote of the Knights of Columbus Board of Directors and will be conferred upon future recipients when merited.♦

Votive Mass TODAY, gratefully, we contemplate the wonder of God’s grace, the gift of his very life in the Blessed Virgin Mary, and also in ourselves. For the wonder is not only that our life itself is changed, but that once graced with God, we are truly ourselves — co-workers, so that God can use us in such a way that his will for the world can be accomplished.

This is the great miracle of grace. …

God is closer to us than we are to ourselves. We are transformed by God’s grace in such a way that we are made partners in the work of redemption. …

Today, then, we marvel at how beautiful Mary is, how the ways of God shine forth in and through her, and how she can say with all her heart and will: “Let it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). …

We are reminded during this

Supreme Convention that we are the protectors of God’s gifts. The most important of these gifts is the gift of grace, for it gives God’s Spirit to every other gift that is given. So we must protect all the gifts; particularly, we have an obligation to protect the gift of chastity, the well-ordered desire in young people, so that they remain free, so that they have a chance not to be imprisoned in sins that would keep them separate from

God and from one another. This is an enormous challenge for us in our time.

We protect the gifts of God in society, the gifts that we speak about so often today: religious liberty, life itself, marriage and family life. But we not only protect them. We protect them only in order to give them away, to share them universally in a Catholic mission. Mary was protected in grace so that she could give the world its savior.

And our mission, our work of cooperating with the grace God has given us, is to do the same. In each generation, the Church’s mission is to introduce the world to its savior until he returns in glory — and how beautiful it will be.

— Cardinal Francis E. George, O.M.I. Archbishop of Chicago Homily, Votive Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Aug. 7

Left: Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl of Washington raises the chalice during the convention’s Votive Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary Aug. 7.

Below: Bishops concelebrate the Aug. 7 Mass, after which the Order’s new Marian Prayer Program, featuring an image of Mary Immaculate, was inaugurated. The backdrop for this Mass presented elements of the Basilica-Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Québec, in which the original painting is enshrined above the high altar.

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In Our Lady’s Footsteps Order inaugurates international prayer program dedicated to the Immaculate Conception

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new Knights of Columbus Marian Prayer Program was inaugurated Aug. 7 at the conclusion of a concelebrated Mass at the 131st Supreme Convention. The program features framed images of Mary under the title of the Immaculate Conception that will be brought on pilgrimage from council to council throughout the next two years.

The Marian image, a colorful painting of Our Lady, is a reproduction of a 1925 work by Sister Mary of the Eucharist, a Sister of Charity of Québec. The original hangs above the main altar in the Basilica-Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Québec, the seat of the Archdiocese of Québec, which is the oldest see in the New World north of Mexico. The year 2014 will mark the 350th anniversary of this historic parish.

During the inauguration ceremony, Archbishop Gérald Cyprien Lacroix of Québec, primate of Canada, encouraged Knights to embrace this prayer program as a way to bear joyful witness to the faith in their countries, dioceses 14

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and parish communities.

“Today, our countries are in great need of missionaries for the urgent mission of new evangelization,” he said. “May Our Lady accompany our Church and all the members of our Order all over the world. Like her, we want to be open to the Holy Spirit and available to accomplish God’s plan in today’s world. And following Our Lady’s example, we want to leave with haste as she did, to share the Good News of the Gospel to a world that needs the hope and the truth and the love of Jesus Christ.”

Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore invoked God’s blessing upon the Order’s state deputies as they prepared to carry the images of Our Lady to councils and parishes around the world. “Bring success to their efforts as they bear these sacred images of Mary Immaculate far and wide,” the supreme chaplain prayed.

“May they know her protection and trace in their hearts the pattern of her holiness.”

This is the 16th international prayer program organized by the Knights of Columbus that has been conducted using

State deputies stand with blessed images of Mary Immaculate as Archbishop Gérald Cyprien Lacroix of Québec, primate of Canada, reflects on the inauguration of the new Marian Prayer Program. a sacred image as its centerpiece. Since the first Orderwide prayer program in 1979, more than 16 million people have participated in some 140,000 K of C-sponsored prayer services, rosary recitations and holy hours held at local councils and parishes.♦ OCTOBER 2013

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Business Session

Above: Past Supreme Knight Virgil C. Dechant addresses the delegates.

Right: Delegates raise signs indicating the support of their jurisdictions during the Aug. 7 business session.

Order Takes Root in Ukraine and Lithuania AS ANNOUNCED in the supreme knight’s annual report, the Order recently established two councils in Ukraine and a round table in Lithuania.

This is the Knights’ first international expansion since the Order started councils in Poland in 2006.

Archbishops Mieczysław Mokrzycki of Lviv, Ukraine, and Gintaras Grušas of Vilnius, Lithuania, traveled to San Antonio for the 131st Supreme Convention and delivered remarks during the Aug. 7 business session. The Lithuanian ambassador to the United States, Žygimantas Pavilionis, who joined the Knights while serving in Washington, D.C., was also present at the convention.

“Allow me to thank the supreme knight for his decision to expand the Order into Ukraine, which has experienced much persecution,” said Archbishop Mokrzycki. “Thank you for your courage and apostolic zeal. I am happy about the new local councils established in Ukraine, especially in my archdiocese.

It is my great hope that the Knights of Columbus will help men — and through them their families and parishes — to build a community of mutual support and to experience a unity despite our cultural differences.”

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The origin of the Order’s expansion to Ukraine goes back to 2005, when Cardinal Lubomyr Husar of Lviv, the major archbishop emeritus of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, was invited to the 123rd Supreme Convention in Chicago. Cardinal Husar subsequently inspired nearly 100 Ukrainian men to join the Knights, among them Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki of Lviv, who was a longtime under-secretary to Pope John Paul II and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, and Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, who succeeded Cardinal Husar in 2011.

Archbishop Shevchuk greeted the Supreme Convention from Lviv via video: “We rejoice at becoming part of this international Catholic family of the Knights of Columbus. We are confident that the bond between the Knights and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church will enrich the journey of growth in our faith and serve to evangelize the faithful…. Glory be to Jesus Christ!”

Thanks to the enthusiastic efforts of Archbishop Grušas, a round table has also been established in Vilnius, and the Order is now seeking to establish councils in Lithuania.

In his remarks, Archbishop Grušas said, “I take this opportunity to thank

Archbishop Gintaras Grušas of Vilnius, Lithuania, addresses the Supreme Convention during the Aug. 7 business session. the supreme knight for his initiative, personal interest and assistance in bringing the Order to Lithuania and to all the Knights who worked so hard to make sure that all this came to fruition.”

The archbishop noted that he grew up in the United States, but became more familiar with the Order while serving as military ordinary of Lithuania and “witnessing the [Knights’] excellent work done with and for the military in the United States.”♦

Awards Session

Annual Awards Session Recognizes Best of 2012-13

Joseph and Mary Uchytil of Greenville, Wis., and their five children were recognized as the 2013 International Family of the Year. They are pictured with extended family as well as State Deputy and Mrs. Timothy Genthe of Wisconsin (right).

EACH FRATERNAL YEAR the Supreme Council recognizes individual Knights, as well as councils, assemblies and Squires circles, for outstanding achievement in the areas of charitable outreach, membership growth and retention, fraternal leadership, and insurance sales and service. The Order’s principles of charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism continue to guide all of the Knights’ programs and initiatives, and the recognition engendered in these awards showcases the best examples of these principles in action.

Among the winners at the 2013 Awards Session, including recipients of the International Service Program Awards, were: • Family of the Year: Joseph and Mary Uchytil of Greenville, Wis., and their children were recognized as the 2013 International Family of the Year.

Joseph, who is a member of Msgr. Gehl Council 7895, and his wife are heavily involved in their parish and in homeschool organizations. All family mem-

bers participate in parish life in addition to myriad other activities at church and in the community.

• Church Activity: Marikina Valley Council 6178 in Marikina City, Luzon, for “Sharing Our Faith: Chapel Construction for the Dumagat Ethnic Group.”

• Community Activity: Fairview Council 4044 in Chicopee, Mass., for its 22nd annual community Thanksgiving dinner.

• Council Activity: Father Mathaushek Council 1576 in Union, Mo., for the “Knights of Columbus Journey for Charity Tractor Cruise.”

• Culture of Life Activity: Naperville (Ill.) Council 1369 for its “Celebrate Life Mass and Dinner.”

• Family Activity: Baileyville (Kan.) 13087 for its “Ryan Sextro Family Benefit.”

• Youth Activity (tie): Jesus the King Arab Christian Council 15045 in Markham, Ontario, for its “JerusalemStudents.org” program and Donat Ro-

bichaud Council 9178 in Cap-Pelé, New Brunswick, for its “No to Bullying, Yes to Respect” program.

• Leading General Agents: George A. Spinelli of Kansas (281 percent of quota) and Anthony “Tony” W. Swanson of Nebraska (248 percent of quota).

• Leading Field Agents: Justin “J.J.” Deges of the Spinelli Agency of Kansas (655 percent of quota) and Benjamin M. Santo of the Swanson Agency in Nebraska (631 percent of quota).

• Top Recruiter: James R. Stachura Jr. of John F. Kennedy Council 1257 in Eau Claire, Wis., was recognized as the top recruiter for 2012-13 for having signed up 152 new Knights.

• Century Club: Councils that add 100 new members over suspension and withdrawals are eligible for the Century Club Award. This year’s Century Club winner is Mary, Mother of Good Counsel Council 11847 in Marcelo Green Paranaque, Luzon, with 121 new members.♦ OCTOBER 2013

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Memorial Mass THE LETTER to the Hebrews speaks of the “great cloud of witnesses,” that is, the saints (Heb 12:1). … Here in San Antonio, the façade of the Mission San José is truly a “catechism in stone” depicting this great cloud of witnesses in sculpture.

In the center, we see St. Joseph, patron of the universal Church and patron of a happy death. … To his right, we see St. Dominic, whose feast the Church celebrates today. We ask his prayers today for us, the family of the Knights of Columbus, that we may be united with one another in living the principle of charity. … On the other side of St. Joseph is St. Francis of Assisi. His radical following of Christ has received new attention in recent months following the election of the pope who has taken his name. … Finally, we see St. Joachim, the father of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and husband of her mother, St. Anne. By providing an atmosphere of faith, order and peace, in which the gifts and the love of their child could develop and flourish for the glory of God, they are a model for Knights of Columbus and their wives called to the vocation of marriage and family life. …

Spurred on by this great cloud of witnesses, and supported by their prayers, let us remember that our eyes have not seen, and our ears have not heard, nor has it even entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him (cf. 1 Cor 9:2).

— Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore Memorial Mass homily, Aug. 8

Memorial Mass Features Relic of Blessed John Paul II EMPHASIZING Blessed John Paul II’s “strong relationship with the Knights of Columbus,” Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki of Lviv in Ukraine delivered remarks at the Supreme Convention’s annual Memorial Mass Aug. 8, which featured a special relic of the late pope.

“I believe that [John Paul II] is still close to us and he remains an inspiration for our Order,” said Archbishop Mokrzycki, who served as under-secretary to John Paul II for nine years.

The archbishop spoke at the conclusion of the annual Memorial Mass, which was offered for all deceased members of the Knights of Columbus on the final day of the Supreme Convention. The Mass featured a special relic — a small amount of blood from Blessed John Paul II — that was carried reverently in procession and displayed in the sanctuary for veneration. Contained in a gold vial attached to a monstrance, the relic was a gift to the Knights of Columbus from Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, archbishop of Kraków, who was also the pope’s personal secretary for many years. It is part of the holdings of the Order’s Blessed John II Shrine in Washington, D.C. Archbishop Mokrzycki told those at the convention Mass that in the last months of John Paul II’s life, before going to sleep at night, the pope would pray in his private chapel and then go to his bedroom window to offer a blessing. “He would bless the pilgrims walking on the square, bless the Eternal City of Rome, bless the whole Church and the whole world. He would do it every day,” the archbishop said. “So 18

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Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki of Lviv, Ukraine, blesses those attending the annual Memorial Mass with a relic of Blessed John Paul II. today, through this holy relic, may he also bless our work as we continue to grow in faith and holiness.”

The principal Mass celebrant was Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, who noted that “soon before the pope passed from this life into eternity, he whispered into the ear of one of the sisters in his household, ‘Let me go to the house of the Father.’ During this Mass for the eternal salvation of all the deceased Knights, we ask Blessed John Paul II, by his prayers, to conduct them — and us — into the house of the Father.”♦

Closing Business Session

Saint Michael Award Conferred for Service to Order

Joseph P. Schultz (second from left) and Poland State Deputy Krzysztof Orzechowski (right) are pictured with Archbishop Lori and Supreme Knight Anderson after Schultz was presented with the inaugural Saint Michael Award.

From top: State deputies serving on the resolutions committee sit on the stage during the closing business session Aug. 8, as a map of Texas featuring the state flag is displayed on the backdrop. • Delegates review proposed resolutions. • Supreme Advocate John A. Marrella reads proposed resolutions. • Past State Deputy Anthony Colbert of the District of Columbia leads the singing of the “Closing Ode.”

AT THE Supreme Convention’s closing business session Aug. 8, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson presented the inaugural Saint Michael Award to Joseph P. Schultz, a 58-year member of the Order and a former supreme director and supreme master.

Established in conjunction with the Caritas Award, the new Saint Michael Award is presented exclusively to members of the Order who have exemplified a lifetime of service on behalf of the Knights of Columbus. Schultz was recognized specifically for his work in expanding the Order to Poland in 2006.

“Without Brother Joseph Schultz’s work on behalf of establishing the Order in Poland, I confess to you that I don’t know how we would have gone about doing it with such efficiency and success,” said the supreme knight. “And so for opening an entire nation to the Knights of Columbus, Joe, we salute you.”

Schultz joined the Order in 1955 and served as the state deputy of California from 2000-2001. He was appointed a supreme director from 2002-2005 and served as supreme master from 2004-2008.

In early 2006, Schultz was part of a development team that traveled to Poland to help lay the groundwork for establishing K of C councils there. Since that time, Poland has grown to include approximately 3,000 members in more than 50 councils.♦ OCTOBER 2013

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Annual Report of the

S UPREME K NIGHT 131 S T S U P R E M E C O N V E N T I O N — S A N A N TO N I O , T E X A S , AU G U S T 6, 2013

From Alaska to Argentina,

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San Fernando Cathedral Most of us remember the names of famous men who fought and died at the Alamo — men like Davy Crockett, William Travis and Jim Bowie.

But alongside these famous men died those with names like Andrés Nava and Juan Antonio Badillo. They came to the Alamo along with many others under the command of Colonel Juan Seguín. You may remember Seguín as the defender of the Alamo who survived, for shortly before the final battle, he was sent out with a message that asked Colonel Fannin to march to the rescue.

According to an 1837 article in the Telegraph and Texas Register attributed to Seguín, after the battle for the Alamo, he returned to San Antonio. There, Seguín ordered that the ashes of his comrades be collected and placed in a coffin on which he inscribed the names of Bowie, Crockett and Travis. The remains were transported in a coffin to San Fernando Cathedral; the bells tolled, and in the church a “Texian flag,” a rifle and a sword were placed atop the coffin.

Wherever they hailed from originally, all of these men appreciated the great gifts of this land and of freedom, and they worked to protect these gifts for themselves and their children.

Religion and immigration found themselves intertwined again in the early 20th century when, more than once, San Antonio became the refuge for many Mexicans who loved freedom. This included bishops, priests and lay people fleeing religious intolerance and even outright persecution at the

ABOVE: Getty Images — OPPOSITE PAGE: Thomas Serafin

the continent we know as America has been shaped by many important forces, among them: evangelization, immigration and the quest for freedom. And what is true of our continent is true also of San Antonio. The history of this nearly 300year-old city indeed bears witness to the power of each of these elements.

Its Catholic roots run deep. San Antonio houses the oldest standing church building in Texas. That church is only a few miles from here, and its first patroness was the Blessed Virgin Mary under her titles Our Lady of Candelaria and Our Lady of Guadalupe. Better known as San Fernando Cathedral, it is also one of the oldest cathedrals in the United States.

Beginning in the early 1700s, San Antonio was an important center for the evangelization of the New World. Franciscan missionaries founded five missions here, which “form the largest cluster of Spanish missions in the United States.” These missionaries included men like Venerable Father Antonio Margil de Jesús. Born in Spain, he preached the Gospel message tirelessly throughout Central America, Mexico and Texas during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. And here in San Antonio he founded Mission San José, the most successful mission in Texas.

The work of these brave missionaries transformed America into a Catholic continent and San Antonio into a Catholic city. They brought the gift of faith to those who didn’t have it and reaffirmed it for those who did.

The city’s best-known mission, San Antonio de Valero, is perhaps the most famous of all the American missions — not for its evangelization, but for its role in securing Texas’ independence. Today, that mission is better known as the Alamo.

For the defenders of the Alamo, freedom was a God-given gift worth defending at all cost.

But who were these Texans who were willing to risk their lives for freedom?

Most were immigrants to this land — or the children of immigrants. Some had roots in Mexico, others in the United States. In fact, so great was the allure of Texas as a land of promise that in the early 19th century, a Connecticut Yankee named Moses sought to immigrate to Texas along with hundreds of American families. Moses’ last name was Austin, and though he died before his dream could be fulfilled, his son, Stephen Austin, for whom the capitol of Texas is named, led 300 settler families to Texas.

And thus it came to be that American Texans fought alongside Mexican Texans.

Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson helps a child put on her new coat during a Coats for Kids event held the day after Thanksgiving 2012 in Bridgeport, Conn.

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hands of the Mexican government, especially in the 1920s and into the ’30s.

Bishop Rafael Guizar Valencia, a brother Knight who is now a saint, was among those who fled here. So too was the primate of Mexico, Archbishop José Mora y del Rio. They didn’t come here for a better life. They came here to protect the gift of life that God had given them, so that they could protect God’s gifts of faith and freedom that had been given to their flock.

These men of God did not sit idly by. They evangelized the people, and they preached and administered the sacraments.

They prayed for their country and its freedom, offering Mass at San Fernando Cathedral in June 1927 for the restoration of religious liberty in their homeland.

Not far from here in Castroville, Texas, a seminary was established for exiled Mexican seminarians, funded in part by the Knights of Columbus. Brother Knight Pedro de Jesús Maldonado was one of the exiled who came to Texas to attend a seminary in El Paso. After his ordination, Father Maldonado returned to Mexico, and despite repeated threats to his life he refused to leave his people. In 1937 he was brutally martyred on Ash Wednesday. The relic of St. Pedro

K NIGHTS

Maldonado was among those venerated during our Opening Mass.

And as outlined in the book La Cristiada, which we recently helped publish in English, the Knights of Columbus Supreme Council worked diligently for a peaceful end to the persecution in Mexico. And here in Texas and throughout the Southwest, Knights aided many of their Catholic brothers and sisters who had fled north during this difficult period.

Evangelization, immigration and a desire for freedom shaped our continent and this great city. And if there is a common thread in each of these shaping elements, it is that our faith, our lives and our freedom are all gifts from God to be protected.

And so, in this city named for St. Anthony, a spiritual son of St. Francis, it gives me great pleasure to announce this year’s convention theme, taken from the first homily of our Holy Father Pope Francis: “Be Protectors of God’s Gifts!”

My brother Knights, with this theme I ask you to continue with and expand upon the good works you do. For over the past year you have been good stewards of God’s gifts! Our Order is stronger today than ever before, and, my brother Knights, the best is yet to come!

OF

C HARITY

During the past several months, the world has been transfixed by the personal witness to charity of Pope Francis.

He has lived his life as pope as he had lived his life previously as priest, provincial superior and archbishop — in solidarity with the poor, the sick and the forgotten.

The Knights of Columbus was blessed to have the two encyclicals on charity of Pope Benedict XVI, which encouraged us to even greater service to our neighbor. We continue to be blessed by the admirable personal witness of Pope Francis, whose leadership in charity through his teaching and personal actions are an example for every member of this Order.

In order to bring the pope’s message to even more people, the Knights of Columbus commissioned a documentary film on the life of our new pope. You will have the chance to be among the first to view it this afternoon.

Calling on us to see each human life as a gift, Pope Francis has lived out charity in a way that is unmistakable. And I have remarked more than once that it seems as though the cardinals in the conclave had Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclicals on charity very much in mind when they elected Pope Francis.

Since our Order is dedicated to charity as its first principle, every Knight should bring the example of Pope Francis into his home, his parish and his community. We can change 22

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countless lives and communities around the world. Our charitable service not only helps the temporal needs of our neighbors, but our personal witness of charity can also evangelize as we express Christ’s commandment of love.

Love of neighbor is an important way for us to actively live out our love of God, and it always has been. It has been a hallmark of great Catholic role models through the ages, from St. Martin of Tours to St. Francis of Assisi to Blessed Teresa of Calcutta to the Venerable Servant of God Father Michael J. McGivney.

Charity has always been a defining characteristic of the Knights of Columbus because our love of neighbor has always motivated us to protect God’s gifts. From the beginning, we have understood that God’s gifts include the poor, the suffering, the marginalized — in other words, every human being.

CHARITY IN ACTION God is love, and his love is also a gift that we have protected and shared abundantly over the past year. For the 13th consecutive year, our Order’s charitable contributions have grown.

While charitable giving in the United States grew by 2 percent

CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano via Reuters

last year, charitable donations from the Knights of Columbus grew three times as much, by 6 percent.

And that increase of more than $9.4 million set a record of $167,549,817 donated last year.

For the fourth year in a row, Québec led all jurisdictions with charitable donations of $10,697,210. Ontario was number two, with $7.9 million, followed by Texas, California, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, New Jersey, New York and Mindanao.

Volunteer time donated by Knights of Columbus also climbed to a record high, reaching 70,113,207 hours. Independent Sector values each hour donated in 2012 at $22.14. That means that the time donated by Knights to charity last year was worth $1,552,306,402.98, and the value of the more than 673 million hours donated in the past decade totals $13,348,436,513.58.

Our jurisdictions in the Philippines continued to show the way in volunteering their time. Mindanao and Luzon took first and second place among all jurisdictions, with 5,817,380 and 4,922,037 hours respectively. Texas, California, Florida, Ontario, Illinois, Québec, Pennsylvania and Michigan round out the top 10.

When it comes to the amount of time volunteered per member, four Canadian jurisdictions were in the top 10, and Prince Edward Island was number one with 144.8 hours donated per member. Alaska was number two, with 110.3 hours per member, followed by British Columbia, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Arizona, Washington State and Mindanao.

Overall, Knights last year donated an average of $91.33 and 38 hours of their time to charity with our Order.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS Our commitment to serving others is nowhere more apparent than in our longtime service to people with intellectual disabilities. Beginning with our support for the very first Special Olympics games in 1968, our efforts in this area have grown dramatically. Last year, not only did our councils donate $3,674,278 to Special Olympics, but more than some 107,000 individual Knights collectively donated more than 315,000 hours of their time at nearly 20,000 Special Olympics events.

But that’s just the beginning. Last year, Knights of Columbus councils donated an additional $13.7 million to other projects benefiting people with intellectual disabilities.

GLOBAL WHEELCHAIR MISSION Councils also donated more than $4.1 million to benefit those with physical disabilities. One of our most important projects in this area involves our decade-long partnership with the

Pope Francis washes the foot of a prison inmate during the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper at Rome’s Casal del Marmo prison for minors March 28.

Global Wheelchair Mission.

During the past year, we have distributed more than 5,000 wheelchairs in 10 countries around the world. Knights in Texas, California and Arkansas donated more than 750 wheelchairs in Mexico. Knights in Puerto Rico and Iowa provided 280 wheelchairs in Haiti. Tennessee Knights donated 280 wheelchairs in the Holy Land. Knights in Orange Park, Fla., raised funds for 110 wheelchairs for the Florida Medical Mission to Guatemala. The Florida State Council also sponsored the donation of 110 wheelchairs for the Archdiocese of Nassau, Bahamas. And California Knights were especially active, donating hundreds of wheelchairs to people in Chile and the Philippines, and working together with Texas Knights for distributions in Vietnam as well.

In addition, Knights in seven states also provided more than 1,300 wheelchairs to veterans.

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Members of St. Benedict’s College Council 4708 in Atchison, Kan., volunteer at a Habitat for Humanity build in St. Joseph, Mo. HEALING HAITI’S CHILDREN Over the past decade, through this partnership with the Global Wheelchair Mission, Knights have given the gift of mobility to more than 40,000 people around the world.

Knights also gave $2.5 million to benefit the elderly, $5 million to hospitals and other health care facilities, and $7.5 million for community projects.

Over the past three years, the Order’s Healing Haiti’s Children program — in partnership with Project Medishare — has been an overwhelming success. The Knights committed to provide each child who lost the use of a limb in the 2010 Haitian earthquake with a two-year treatment program of prosthetics, orthotics and physical therapy. More than 800 children have traveled from all over Haiti to the Emilio Moure Clinic for Hope in Port-au-Prince to receive this life-changing treatment.

The sustainable model, which included training and employment for local workers, will allow treatment for patients and employment for Haitian people to continue into the future.

Marys for the victims and their families; the first responders and teachers; and the community of Newtown. More than 105,000 people signed up to offer these prayers, saying a total of more than 3.25 million Hail Marys.

Approximately 250 brother Knights from Newtown and the surrounding areas served as ushers at many of the funerals and saw to many other details during this sad period.

The council also simultaneously conducted its annual Christmas toy program and contributed more than $70,000 worth of toys in memory of Caroline Previdi, one of the children killed, who had been saving money for the council’s toy drive to help children in need.

The work our brother Knights did in Newtown was vital, and it combined the two key elements of the work our Order does: prayer and action.

In several natural disasters, too, Knights found themselves at the forefront of relief efforts.

Following Hurricane Sandy we raised more than $500,000 for the victims through Knights of Columbus Charities. In addition, Knights contributed enormous amounts of time to collecting and transporting supplies to help those affected in New York and New Jersey.

State councils made immediate use of the funds, and once again the Knights of Columbus was one of the earliest sources of aid to disaster victims. Because the storm hit as the weather was turning much colder, New Jersey made immediate donations of 700 children’s coats from the Coats for Kids program.

DISASTER RELIEF Not every charitable activity the Knights of Columbus does can be planned in advance. When disasters strike, we Knights answer the call for help.

In the wake of the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Council 185 in Newtown, Conn., established a program that asked people to pray a minimum of three Hail 24

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Julie Denesha

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY Knights have also helped provide housing for those who most need it. Last year, Knights donated more than $1.2 million and 1.4 million volunteer hours to Habitat for Humanity projects. Members of St. Benedict’s College Council 4708 in Atchison, Kan., were among those working on Knights of Columbus Habitat projects last year.

In Lloydminster, Canada, a city that straddles the border between Alberta and Saskatchewan, Knights working with Habitat for Humanity sought to help lower-income residents.

They installed insulation in a six-townhouse development, helping not only to build homes, but also to strengthen their community.

Mitchell Kearney

Richard Caron, a member of St. Matthew Council 10852 in Charlotte, N.C., prays with a man at the Men’s Shelter of Charlotte and washes his feet on Holy Thursday. Council members washed the men’s feet, distributed shoes and socks, and then served a meal to shelter residents.

The Florida State Council sent 28 cases of their Coats for Kids to New York, where they were distributed as part of their relief efforts. New York also distributed 750 gift cards worth $100 each to families who had lost access to their homes and needed to get clothes and food for their children. Councils elsewhere in New York City, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Albany raised and donated additional funds, and collected and moved needed supplies to hard-hit areas of Staten Island and Long Island. District deputies in Kings County pulled together a team that took barbecue grills and food supplies to Brooklyn and Queens, where they cooked meals for victims and first responders. Council 126 in Brooklyn became a major collection and distribution center for Sandy victims.

As soon as they had their power restored, the brother Knights of Council 3481 in Oceanside hosted a pre-Thanksgiving dinner for their neighbors and first responders. Council 2204 in Farmingdale is about four miles inland from the Atlantic shore of Long Island, and it became a home for four dozen local families as well as FEMA employees who had no place to go. The council made sure they had three hot meals a day and the sort of comfort that only neighbors can provide to one another.

Upstate New York’s Council 275 filled a truck with donated blankets, coats, sweaters, work gloves, batteries, flashlights and cleaning supplies and drove them to Council 1675 in Staten Island. After everything was unloaded, Grand Knight Frank Ostrander presented a check for $360 to help with other OCTOBER 2013

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needs. Actions like these were replicated hundreds of times in the weeks following the storm, and they truly tell a story of the determination of the Knights of Columbus to help those in need.

The Supreme Council sent two truckloads of supplies, one to New York and another to New Jersey. Supreme Warden George Hanna and I visited the devastated shoreline and helped unload supplies at Council 5917 on Staten Island.

Supreme Treasurer Logan Ludwig did the same at Council 6552 in Middletown, N.J., and so many brother Knights did similar work as well.

Even councils outside the northeastern United States got involved. Council 5561 in Warrenton, Va., packed 20 tons of supplies in three trucks and drove them to Staten Island. One hundred and five council members were joined by 80 community volunteers in that project. And scores of other councils made similar efforts.

Sandy was not the only natural disaster of the past year, of course.

When a huge, mile-wide tornado ripped through the Oklahoma City area in May, Oklahoma Knights quickly set up a disaster response effort at St. Andrew Church, home of Council 9901. More than 100 volunteers came out to help. Knights quickly organized visits to parish families at their homes to size up the damage and their needs. Knights were also among the volunteers staffing four multi-agency relief centers in Moore, Okla., and they also partnered with Catholic Charities in opening a distribution center in Norman to provide food 26

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COATS FOR KIDS Year in and year out, one weather pattern we can count on is the chill of winter. For children who don’t have the clothing

TOP LEFT: Randy Hale — OPPOSITE PAGE: Kevin Manning

California State Chaplain Father John Neneman carries a young man to his new wheelchair in Davao City, Philippines.

and other supplies to storm victims. Knights and others nationwide made individual contributions of more than $202,000 to the Knights of Columbus Charities Disaster Relief Fund following the Oklahoma tornado.

The Oklahoma disaster also afforded us an opportunity to identify and coordinate the activities of Knight volunteers through our Disaster Response Program, which is designed to enhance our ability to respond to both natural and man-made disasters.

In West, Texas, an industrial explosion April 17 caused massive destruction near a fertilizer plant. Fifteen people were killed and hundreds more were injured. Knights at every level responded immediately. Council 2305 has 500 members in a town of less than 3,000 people, and the Knights of West, Texas, became key players in the relief efforts. Shortly after the blast, the Supreme Council sent $10,000 to Council 2305 for their use in helping victims. Beginning shortly after the explosion, and ever since, our brother Knights there in West have been working closely with other local groups and government authorities in providing disaster relief.

The Texas State Council also earmarked money for West, and many of our college Knights from throughout Texas came to West to help the community get back on its feet. Nationally, Knights of Columbus Charities collected nearly $250,000 to help the Texas victims with their most urgent needs.

Of that money, $70,000 was used to purchase “House in a Box” for the families whose homes were damaged or destroyed, supplying them with furniture, cooking utensils and other essentials. Fifty thousand dollars was sent to the badly damaged West Independent School District to help in their recovery, and in a town that is 70 percent Catholic, an additional $50,000 went to St. Mary’s School to meet the unforeseen needs of the school and students as a result of the disaster.

Over the past year, Knights of Columbus Charities has also provided tens of thousands of dollars in aid to assist those impacted by other disasters, including: the flooding in North Dakota and Western Canada, the tornadoes in Indiana and Hurricane Isaac in Louisiana.

In the Philippines, after Typhoon Pablo devastated parts of Mindanao last December, the Knights of Council 11032 in Taglatawan assisted in relief efforts by collecting and distributing clothing, food and bedding to those in need.

And members of Council 5973 in Tayabas City, Luzon, delivered food, medicine and other supplies by boat to flood victims in Barangay Lambac, a village where 250 families were affected by the rising water.

Overall, councils donated more than $3.3 million to help victims of disasters last year, and Knights donated more than 18.4 million hours of their time to these and many other community service efforts.

And as our Disaster Response Program continues to develop, our work in future relief efforts will be even greater.

The Knights of Columbus Tractor Cruise for Charity in St. Clair, Mo., helped collect more than 1,000 pounds of food and $19,000 in donations for local food banks.

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to stay warm, winter can be debilitating. Our Coats for Kids program protects young children from the cold by giving brand new coats to those who need them. Last year, 917 Knights of Columbus councils purchased and distributed 42,556 coats — an increase of more than 10,000 coats from the previous year. And since 2009, we have distributed more than 115,000 coats to children throughout the United States and Canada.

The day after Thanksgiving, I participated in a Coats for Kids distribution in Bridgeport, Conn., organized by the Connecticut State Council. While many people were out shopping, the Knights in Connecticut were giving away coats to children in need. And this year, the state council will be expanding its annual Black Friday coat distribution to several more locations.

Among the many other councils that hosted this program was Council 3660 in Indianapolis. There, former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Jim Sorgi joined Supreme Secretary Charles Maurer as 200 coats were distributed to children in need from four area Catholic schools. The experience moved Sorgi to sign a Form 100 right there, underscoring the importance of having current and potential members volunteer with us.

Every council whose area experiences a cold winter should be involved in giving the gift of warmth through our Coats for Kids program.

FOOD FOR FAMILIES Providing food for the hungry is etched into the history of the Knights of Columbus, and the Order’s commitment to this corporal work of mercy continues to this day. During the 1930s, when the Depression gripped the United States, Knights throughout the country helped feed the hungry, including Mexican immigrants who had come north during the period of religious persecution and other hardships in their home country. And during and after World War II, the Knights of Columbus — through our playgrounds in Rome — had a key role in distributing food to the hungry people and children of that city.

During our present time of financial hardship for so many people, another program that makes a real difference is our Food for Families initiative. Based on the excellent work that many councils have done with food drives, this program helps put food on the table for people who would otherwise go hungry. And in 2012, we began the Knights of Columbus Food for Families Reimbursement Program. Under this pro28

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gram, for every $500 or 500 pounds of food a council or assembly contributes to a food bank or parish food pantry, it is eligible for a refund of $100 from the Supreme Council — up to $500 per fraternal year. Every council can conduct a food drive at their parish, at local supermarkets or at a council home.

One creative implementation of this program was the Tractor Cruise for Charity in Missouri. Co-sponsored by Council 1121 in Washington, Council 1576 in Union, Council 4667 in Saint Clair and Council 8073 in Villa Ridge, the 83-tractor convoy collected half a ton of food and approximately $19,000 for local food banks.

And nearby in Helotes, Texas, Council 8306 has pioneered the 40 Cans for Lent initiative, collecting food at a time when food banks often run low.

Councils in several other jurisdictions have used this model as part of their own Food for Families program.

Some councils collect food, and others cook and serve it. I saw such good work firsthand last Thanksgiving at Council 4044 in Chicopee, Mass. For the 22nd consecutive year, Knights there organized a community Thanksgiving dinner.

The members of the council recruited additional volunteers as well, and together they fed more than 3,500 people. Most were fed at the council home, where they received a full Thanksgiving dinner in a restaurant-like atmosphere.

Hundreds of meals were also delivered to the homebound.

Everyone was welcome and so many came. There were old and young, individuals and families, the poor and the lonely — anyone who needed a place to go on Thanksgiving. The event was one of the hundreds of charitable activities that Knights of Columbus throughout the United States participated in to help families and others in need enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday.

A 30-second Knights of Columbus television message also aired during Thanksgiving weekend, inviting the public to support the Knights in feeding those in need.

While some councils focused on food, others focused on water. When a well in New Mexico that was the only source of drinking water for the little town of Magdalena went dry on a Friday in early June, residents were told it was going to take at least a week and a half to drill a new, deeper well. So the Knights of Rio Rancho — 125 miles away — spent the weekend conducting a drive to collect hundreds of cases of bottled water, which they then loaded onto a rented truck and

transported to the people of Magdalena.

These programs that bring food, water and coats to those in need are a direct response to Christ’s call in the Gospel to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty and clothe the naked.

That is what the Knights of Columbus do — we are men who see a need and then act to make a difference.

BLOOD DRIVES Ever since we sponsored what many consider to be the first national blood drive in the United States in 1938, we have been providing this service in councils throughout the world.

During the last fraternal year, we helped provide a vital lifeline to those undergoing medical treatment by enlisting the support of more than 423,000 blood donors.

One of our blood drives earlier this summer was sponsored

by Assembly 3373 at the U.S. Army Garrison in Grafenwoehr, Germany. The Armed Services Blood Program reports that the Knights of Columbus blood drive collected 107 units of blood, the second highest total ever collected at that location.

INTERNATIONAL RELIEF Often, our charity also reaches beyond our jurisdictions, helping people even in countries where the Knights of Columbus does not have a formal presence. Over the years we have helped people in need in Haiti, Pakistan, Japan, Sri Lanka and Chile, just to name a few.

In Africa, the Supreme Council is funding the work of the Apostles of Jesus on behalf of those orphaned by AIDS in Uganda and Kenya, providing hundreds of children with education, food and medical care.

Council 14004 in Radom, Poland, organized a campaign to collect sewing machines to repair and then transport to Zambia. More than 400 of these machines were collected and repaired, with 200 machines already sent to Zambia and a sec-

The Knights of Columbus, through its partnership with the Apostles of Jesus, is providing care and shelter to children in sub-Saharan Africa orphaned because of AIDS. ond shipment of 200 now underway. With these machines, young women can learn sewing skills and become economically self-supporting.

Whether at home or abroad, charity is our Order’s first principle and its lifeblood. Through our charitable work we bring the love of God to our neighbors, to our communities and to those most in need. We speak through our actions to the truth that every life has dignity and meaning.

As Pope Francis told the bishops gathered in Brazil for World Youth Day in late July: “Our pastoral work does not depend on a wealth of resources, but on the creativity of love.”

Through charity, we strengthen our own faith by loving our neighbor and evangelizing those around us through this witness.

We show ourselves to be protectors of God’s gifts and we invite others to join us in protecting those gifts.

M EMBERSHIP G ROWTH I think all of us would agree that one of God’s special gifts to each one of us is our membership in the Knights of Columbus.

As we consider our call to protect God’s many gifts, it is important that we include our Order on that list.

Our ability to do good in countless communities around the world is directly related to the growth and vitality of our membership. And inviting men to join our Order not only helps others, it helps each man who joins by giving him the opportunity to live out his faith in service to his neighbor

and in protecting God’s many gifts.

So it gives me great pleasure to report to you that during the fraternal year ending June 30, membership in our Order grew for the 41st consecutive year, to a record 1,843,587 brother Knights.

During this same period we added 229 new councils, including eight in Mexico, 10 in Poland, 13 in Canada, 80 in

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Above: Members of San José de Zapotlán Council 3338 in Ciudad Guzmán, Mexico Central, remove dirt and rocks from a proposed walkway and plaza in front of the Church of San Martín. Knights originally planned to create a small walkway in front of the church. At the encouragement of the community, however, the council undertook a project to create a walkway, plaza and covered pavilion.

• Left: Members of Radom (Poland) Council 14004 stand with sewing machines they collected for repair and transport to Zambia, where young women will use them to learn sewing skills and become economically self-sufficient.

the Philippines and 117 in the United States. That brings the total number of councils to 14,606.

I am pleased to announce that two of these new councils were established in Ukraine, where we were invited by Cardinal Lubomyr Husar at our convention in 2005. Additionally, we have established a round table in Lithuania.

Members of the hierarchy from both these countries have also joined us here at our Supreme Convention. Our presence in Lithuania and Ukraine, along with our growing numbers in Poland, give us even deeper roots in Europe.

As a percentage, membership grew the most in Poland, where 529 new Knights increased our membership by more than 23 percent in just one year. Other jurisdictions added substantially to their ranks as well. Mexico Northwest grew by more than 9 percent and Mexico Northeast by 8.6 percent. The Philippines grew by 4.8 percent.

In the United States, Utah grew its membership by 5.2 percent this year, the District of Columbia by 4.6 percent and Georgia by 3.3 percent. New Mexico grew by 3 percent, Idaho by 2.6 percent, Hawaii by 2.4 percent, Virginia by 2.1 percent and Colorado by 2 percent. The large jurisdictions of California and Texas both turned in gains of nearly 2 percent each, for a membership increase of some 3,000 new members in those two states alone.

Our growth is a testament to the importance and rele30

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vance of our mission in today’s world. It is also a testament to the hard work of brother Knights, whose charitable example, combined with the recruitment of new members, has been so effective.

But there is much more to be done.

There are more than 300 million Catholics in the countries where we have a formal presence. We have tremendous untapped potential for growth.

We have done much, but we are called to do even more.

Our parishes, our neighbors and our communities need us more than ever. And they aren’t the only ones. The men who sit next to us in the pews each Sunday would benefit enormously from the opportunity to live out their faith through charity with us.

We recently began a simple and effective new membership program. One new member, per council, per month.

That is 12 new members per council per year. And if you need any reassurance that the right 12 men can make a huge difference, just think of how the Gospel message was spread by the Twelve Apostles.

If each council recruited one member each month, that would be nearly 180,000 new members, and our Order would grow by almost 10 percent in a single year.

Christ didn’t seek perfect men for his apostles, and we do not seek perfect men for the Knights of Columbus. We seek

good men who are looking to be better men, and then we give them the opportunity to become great men.

At every stage of a man’s life, the Knights of Columbus has something important to offer. When a man moves into a parish, the council should reach out and ask him to join.

When a man gets married, baptizes his child, enrolls a child in elementary school, has his last child leave home, or retires, the Knights of Columbus has something to offer him.

Perhaps it is serving his community or parish, or protecting his family’s financial future, or the fellowship that comes from meeting and working with like-minded men for the good of those in need. Whatever the reason, bring these men into our councils.

We were founded by a parish priest — Father Michael McGivney. He knew the good that a group of active Catholic men could do for the parish, the community, their families and each other. And no recruitment effort is ever complete without the involvement of the council’s chaplain and the pastor. Include them in your planning, ask for their advice and help in promoting the Order and identifying men to join our ranks, and give them the opportunity to provide the spiritual support your brother Knights need to live out their faith.

Whatever draws a new member to our ranks, our job remains the same: Make that man a Knight, and make that Knight a better man, a better Catholic, a better husband, a better father, a better citizen and someone who gives of

Members of Don Febian R. Millar Council 5973 in Tayabas City, Luzon, deliver food, medicine and other supplies by boat to flood victims in Barangay Lambac, a village of 250 families. himself in his parish and community.

Our outreach in charity and evangelization will increase exponentially with membership growth. We owe it to our Church, to our neighbors in need, to Catholic men who are not yet Knights and to ourselves as members to grow our Order so that we can accomplish even more through our love of God and neighbor.

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YOUTH When we speak about God’s gifts, the next generation stands out as particularly important. gram drew more than 7,200 participants at 1,000 events.

Last year, local councils sponsored 29,880 Scouts in 1,210 Scout units in the United States and an additional 1,079 Scouts in 121 Scout units in Canada.

Columbian Squires concluded the fraternal year with 25,848 members in 1,696 active Squires circles.

For those heading on to institutions of higher learning, our College Council Program offers new friends and brother Knights who share their faith, values and commitment to charity. Over the past year we added 11 new college councils, including four in the United States, one in Canada and six in the Philippines.

We now have 25,858 college Knights who are members of councils at 287 colleges and universities.

During the 2012-2013 academic year, the Supreme Council funded 575 scholarships worth more than $1.35 million for students at institutions of higher education. And 112 scholarships went to seminarians through the Father Michael J. McGivney and Bishop Thomas V. Daily Vocations Scholarship programs.

Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore greets attendees at the Youth Rally Mass held prior to the 2013 March for Life in Washington, D.C. 32

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John Whitman

Our charitable work and our work with youth should inspire a new generation of young men to follow in our footsteps — in the service of God and neighbor.

Our programs for young people result in good will and lifelong positive attitudes toward charity, our faith and the Knights of Columbus.

Young men and women who participate in one of our sports programs or essay contests, or who win a Knights-sponsored scholarship, carry a favorable impression of the Order — and the good works that we do — into adulthood.

The 115,000 children who received new coats over the past five years through our Coats for Kids program will always remember that the Knights of Columbus cared and helped when they were in need. The coat may last a winter or two, but the memory of that charitable act will last a lifetime.

Over the past year, more than 109,000 young people between the ages of 10 and 14 participated at 2,225 Knights of Columbus Free Throw competitions, and our newer Soccer Challenge pro-

Forty-two awardees are members of the Order. Each scholarship provides $2,500 for tuition, room and board at major schools of theology. Since the two scholarship programs began in 1992 and 1999 respectively, they have distributed more than $6.1 million in scholarship aid to 1,058 seminarians, 729 of whom have been ordained to the priesthood.

But the largest amount of Knights of Columbus support for vocations comes from the local councils, assemblies and Squires circles participating in our Refund Support Vocations or RSVP Program. Last year alone, 2,929 local units provided direct financial support totaling $5,941,883 to 5,791 seminarians through the RSVP program. For every $500 donated to a seminarian or postulant, the Supreme Council provides a refund of $100.

Since 1981, the RSVP program has provided more than $56 million in aid to more than 91,000 men and women pursuing their vocations to the priesthood or religious life.

Among our other scholarship programs, eight scholarships totaling more than $184,000 were provided through the Matthews and Swift Educational Trust. Likewise, 172 scholarships worth more than $250,000 were provided through the Fourth Degree Pro Deo and Pro Patria scholarship programs.

And local councils and assemblies together provided $7 million in the form of scholarships and other forms of educational assistance, and another $1.8 million for youth athletic programs. All told, local councils and assemblies contributed more than $18.5 million to youth programs last year.

From helping children in need to helping seminarians become the priests of tomorrow, our Order cares deeply about the next generation. The charity we direct to young people can pay a lifetime of dividends. Not only in the programs we run, but in the example of what we do, young people can see the power of Christian charity.

Former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Jim Sorgi (shown with one of his fans) helps with a Coats for Kids distribution sponsored by Indianapolis-area Knights.

F OURTH D EGREE AND THE A RMED F ORCES Duncan Alney

Another of God’s gifts is the country in which we live.

And in each of our jurisdictions, our Fourth Degree Knights can be seen serving as honor guards at parades, patriotic ceremonies and important liturgical events. Their presence demonstrates in a very public way our Order’s love of both God and country.

Patriotism is a core principle of our Order, and that is why, over the past year, we have encouraged more Knights to become Sir Knights by eliminating the waiting period between the Third

and Fourth Degree. Now, Third Degree Knights can immediately proceed to the Patriotic Degree, and I am happy to report that during the past year, 15,709 Knights did so, bringing Fourth Degree membership to an all-time high of 335,132. We have also added 75 new Fourth Degree assemblies, bringing the total number to 3,109.

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become a highly visible presence in veterans hospitals around the United States and account for the lion’s share of the thousands of Knights who are part of the Veterans Affairs Voluntary Services program or VAVS. Often this work is done quietly, but sometimes the great work done by our Fourth Degree Knights on behalf of our veterans is publicly recognized. Such is the case with this year’s VAVS Volunteer of the Year — Sir Knight Steve Leisure from Assembly 2527 and Council 4083. He was recognized for his work at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Each year, under Leisure’s supervision, the Knights there have partnered with Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center to sponsor a “Welcome Home” picnic for nearly 500 veterans of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Although the picnic is designed for recent veterans, it is attended by veterans of past conflicts as well.

In addition to supporting the picnic — and again under Leisure’s guidance — Knights participate in Veterans Day activities, the Memorial Day wreath-laying ceremony, weekly Communion services, the distribution of rosaries and assistance at Masses for veterans who are patients at the Tuscaloosa VA. Led by the Fourth Degree, Knights now provide volunteer services at 136 of the 153 veterans medical centers, and our goal is to be active at all of them.

There is no better way to honor the sacrifices that those in the Armed Forces have made on our behalf than to provide support for our veterans when they return home or undergo medical treatment.

Veterans have a special place in the hearts of the Knights of Columbus. Our first supreme knight, James Mullen, and many of the other men Father McGivney chose to found our Order were Civil War veterans.

And our formal work in support of our veterans goes all the way back to the First World War. After having served the troops so well by providing Catholic chaplains and Army Hut facilities in the United States and Europe, the Knights of Columbus welcomed our troops home first with parades throughout the country, and then with job training and placement.

We have been making a difference ever since.

The Fourth Degree has also been in the forefront of the Order’s drive to support vocations for military chaplains. It is a need that is especially great. Catholic military chaplains serve some 1.8 million members of the armed services and their families at 220 military installations in 29 countries, as well as on the decks of aircraft carriers, in tents in the desert, at VA hospitals and on the front lines in combat zones.

And while the need is great, Catholics have barely a third of the chaplains needed. The Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, estimates that it needs 800 chaplains, but it currently has only 239.

And so, consistent with our long history of supporting priestly vocations and the faith of our troops, we have been supporting the AMS Co-Sponsored Seminarian Program. Under the program, the Military Archdiocese joins with each participating diocese to fund 50 percent of the cost of a seminarian’s five-year education; in return, the candidate agrees that following ordination and three years of service at a local parish, he will 34

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serve as a military chaplain for at least three to five years.

We have pledged $1 million over five years in support of this program. The fundraising is being led by the Fourth Degree, and thus far, assemblies have raised $530,936 for this vital project.

There is a real affinity between the Fourth Degree and members of the Armed Services, and this is also evident in the enthusiasm of active-duty Knights who have joined the Patriotic Degree while deployed overseas.

Late last year, approximately 100 active-duty personnel — joined by DOD civilian employees and contractors, and retirees based in Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom — took the Fourth Degree at a special exemplification held at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany.

AMS Auxiliary Bishop Richard Spencer celebrated the Mass following the exemplification. This is the first assembly formed in Europe, and it is part of our new Military Overseas Europe Special District. It is named for Father Timothy Vakoc, a military chaplain who died of injuries suffered during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Other assemblies have been formed at Camp Zama, Japan, and at the Yongsan Garrison in Korea.

In May, I was pleased to join veterans, active-duty troops and Archbishop Timothy Broglio in Lourdes for a pilgrimage of wounded and disabled veterans that coincided with the 55th annual International Military Pilgrimage.

The Knights of Columbus co-sponsored the pilgrimage of these American soldiers and veterans together with the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and the North American Lourdes Volunteers as part of the AMS program for the Year of Faith.

Together with troops from more than 30 countries, these brave American men and women prayed and grew in their faith at one of the world’s most important Catholic shrines. It was a profound witness to the power that faith has to create unity even in the midst of the celebration of national identity.

No discussion of the heroic sacrifices of those who served would be complete if we did not pause to remember those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom. Ever since 9/11, we have paused during our convention to honor those brother Knights who have given their lives in the Armed Forces over the past year.

This year, with NATO involvement in Afghanistan winding down, allied casualties have diminished. Although only one brother Knight has died in combat during the past year, the loss of Lt. Col. Todd Clark in June was tragic — especially for his wife, Shelley, and their two teenage children.

A native of New York and the recipient of the Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts, Lt. Col. Clark had spent eight months at Walter Reed Army Medical Center recovering from injuries sustained in an IED explosion in Afghanistan during his fourth combat tour. He was later serving on his fifth tour as a senior adviser to the Afghan National Army when he was killed by one of the men he was training.

Since the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom, following the attacks of 9/11, more than 3,300 allied soldiers have lost their lives in battle, including more than 2,200 from the United States, 158 from Canada and 37 from Poland.

LOURDES: Photos by Frédéric Lacaze

Clockwise from above: On Memorial Day weekend, veterans and active members of the military traveled to Lourdes, France, on a trip sponsored by the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and the Knights of Columbus. The trip coincided with the 55th International Military Pilgrimage. • American military personnel and veterans, sponsored by the U.S. military archdiocese and the Knights, participate in the International Military Pilgrimage in Lourdes. The U.S. military pilgrims, their families and other participants joined a procession of the Blessed Sacrament and the blessing of the sick. • Polish Fourth Degree members take part in a Mass celebrated at the Field Cathedral of the Polish Army in Warsaw as part of that country’s Independence Day celebrations Nov. 11.

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INSURANCE & INVESTMENTS One of the driving forces in the life of Venerable Michael McGivney was protecting the gift of Catholic families.

Father McGivney had seen too many families suffer through the untimely death of a breadwinner and was determined to provide a way for Knights to protect their families. Today’s Knights of Columbus insurance program is his legacy and a testament to his vision of brother Knights helping one another to secure their families’ futures.

For the 38th consecutive year, the Knights of Columbus earned A.M. Best’s highest rating of A++, ranking reserved only for companies that have “a superior ability to meet their ongoing insurance obligations.” A.M. Best cited that our insurance program has “consistently positive statutory earnings, excellent persistency and a solid level of risk-adjusted capitalization.” Of more than 1,100 life insurance companies rated

by A.M. Best in North America, we stand among the only eight that earned their top rating. No insurer in North America is more highly rated than the Knights of Columbus.

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We also continue to rank among America’s largest companies, climbing 56 spots on that list in the last six years to rank 909 on this year’s Fortune 1000 list. Our assets grew 7.6 percent last year and now total more than $20 billion. Our surplus ratio grew to 11.8 percent last year and provides us with what A.M. Best describes as “an exceptional level of risk-adjusted capitalization,” which “affords the Order considerable financial strength.”

Our insurance in force has reached $90.6 billion, nearly double the amount just 10 years ago. In the last year alone, our insurance in force has grown by $4.86 billion. We issued nearly 78,000 life certificates last year, far more than any other fraternal benefit society and nearly 30,000 more than our closest competitor. We now have more than 1,733,000 certificates in force, and our five-year sales growth of 23.6 percent is nearly four times greater than the rate of growth

of the industry as a whole, which stands at 6 percent.

Our exceptional growth is a testament to our highly professional force of 1,504 agents, all of whom are brother Knights who serve only Knights and their families. They share your faith and loyalty to our Order, and as friends, brother Knights and fellow parishioners, they bring a professional and personal view to helping you meet your families’ financial goals. Help them by encouraging your brother Knight to protect his family in a way that he can be proud of — by availing himself of our insurance programs.

Let us encourage more men to join our Order because they want to protect their families with an organization that has the highest professional standards and shares their Catholic values. Welcome such new members, and remember that Father McGivney founded our Order to protect Catholic families and that a man’s desire to protect his family with us honors us and honors our founder.

When brother Knights purchase our life insurance, they keep our life insurance. Our lapse rate of 3.5 percent is among the lowest in the industry and approximately half of the industry average of 6.1 percent. Put another way, 96.5 percent of our insurance members keep their policies, and that represents a superior level of confidence and satisfaction that other companies can only dream about.

Our other financial products have grown as well. Revenue from our new disability income product has tripled over the past year, and our long-term care offering has continued its

steady growth.

In these days of economic uncertainty, our insurance program continued to outpace the industry. Insurance premiums reached an all time high of nearly $1.2 billion in 2012.

Our 5 percent growth in insurance premiums grew at a rate 25 percent faster than the industry’s rate of only 4 percent.

In addition, our annuity deposits increased 4.2 percent to a record $618 million while the industry experienced an 8 percent decline.

Ultimately, the measure of our success is the benefits paid to our members. Last year, we paid more than $286 million in death benefits, and over the course of our history, death benefits to the families of deceased Knights have totaled more than $3.7 billion.

Equally important, last year we paid more than $274 million in dividends to our policy holders, and since the inception of our program, we have paid out more than $12 billion in living benefits to our insurance members.

Good stewardship is important especially in these turbulent times. That is why we maintain a level of capitalization that ensures our ability to be there for our brother Knights and their families, especially during the most difficult financial times. Our $1.8 billion surplus is the foundation of our capitalization which Standard and Poor’s describes as “extremely strong, with a redundancy at the AAA level.” And we received praise rare from a rating agency for our “conservative investment strategy,” “extremely strong capitalization”

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invest, and those enterprises that we help to become successful with investment dollars, reflect on us as the investor. That is why we screen our investments, and that is why our ChurchLoan program is so important to us.

That program provides mortgage loans to Catholic churches and schools, enabling them to finance critical projects at very competitive rates. It is yet another way in which we support our Church while investing our assets in ways that provide financial security to our members.

In the end, our financial success is built upon these fundamental principles: treating our members like family, having only brother Knights serving as insurance agents, selling and investing ethically, and staying true to Father McGivney’s vision of protecting the future of Catholic families.

You can be justifiably proud that once again this year, our program of insurance by brother Knights for brother Knights is an industry leader and one of the most important ways that we continue to protect God’s gift of the family.

K NIGHTS AND THE C HURCH God’s gift to us of our faith is something that should guide every aspect of our lives and that every Knight should strive to protect.

Indeed, the protection of his parishioners’ Catholic faith was one of the main reasons that Father McGivney founded our Order.

And this Year of Faith has certainly been historic for the Catholic Church. The eyes of the world were on the Church when Pope Benedict XVI became the first pope in five centuries to retire from the papacy, and again when the conclave elected as his successor Pope Francis — the first pope from the New World.

On June 28, I had the privilege of a private audience with Pope Francis. It was an extraordinary opportunity to speak with him about the charitable work of the Knights of 38

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Columbus. It was also inspiring to experience firsthand the love and concern that our new Holy Father has for the poor and suffering.

The next day, Pope Francis signed his first encyclical, Lumen Fidei (The Light of Faith), which was begun by Pope Benedict.

In Lumen Fidei, Pope Francis asks each of us to consider the nature of charity, writing: “The boundless love of our Father also comes to us, in Jesus, through our brothers and sisters. Faith teaches us to see that every man and woman represents a blessing for me, that the light of God’s face shines on me through the faces of my brothers and sisters” (54).

FORTUNE is a registered trademark of Time Inc. and is used under license. From FORTUNE Magazine, May 23, 2012 ©Time Inc. FORTUNE and Time Inc. are not affiliated with, and do not endorse products or services of, Licensee.

and “significant amounts of fraternal and charitable contributions.”

Our ability to provide these benefits depends in significant measure on the skills of our investment department, which has done an extraordinary job of growing earnings in a very difficult, low interest rate environment.

In a year when the return on 10-year Treasury bonds typically remained below 2 percent, our new purchase rate was 4.26 percent.

During 2012, we invested more than $10 million each day, and our new investments in the course of the year totaled $2.7 billion.

Our investment income last year totaled $905,966,950, an increase of 3.15 percent over 2011 and an exceptional result in today’s economy.

Our sustainable investment strategy has two key components. First, an investment must not conflict with our Catholic principles. And second, it must make good financial sense. Our success is proof that one need not compromise Catholic principles to be successful.

We believe that the institutions in which we

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Pope Francis meets with Supreme Knight Anderson in a private audience during which they discussed the Order’s charitable initiatives.

Such thinking has been the hallmark of Pope Francis’ life.

In his role as Cardinal Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, and now as Pope Francis, our Holy Father has stood in solidarity with — and ministered personally to — the poor.

And we are blessed that the Knights of Columbus is so uniquely suited to support our Holy Father in his work for charity and evangelization.

Like him, we are deeply committed to charity. And, like him, we are strongly committed to living out our faith and promoting the new evangelization. Also like him, we are steadfast in our commitment to protect God’s gifts by helping those on the margins of society.

Our founding principles of charity, unity and fraternity, established by the Venerable Servant of God Father Michael J. McGivney, are also key themes of our new pope.

Just after his election, as I heard our Holy Father address the world for the first time as pope, I was struck by how important his words were to the Knights of Columbus.

Pope Francis said this: “And now let us begin this journey, [together] as bishop and people. This journey of the Church of Rome, which is to preside over all the Churches in charity.

It is a journey of fraternity, of love, of trust between us. Let us always pray for one another. Let us pray for the world, so that a great brotherhood may be created.”

His words are an unmistakable call to “charity, unity and fraternity.”

And we are blessed that the Holy Father’s words once again underscore for us the timeless vision of Father McGivney.

Like Father McGivney, Pope Francis was born into an immigrant family. His election highlights the important role that America — the Catholic continent — has in the new evangelization.

In this year of two popes, the Church has also been blessed with the announcement that two of their predecessors will soon be canonized.

Pope John XXIII led the Church into the Second Vatican Council and knew the Knights of Columbus well, visiting one of our playgrounds in Rome in 1959 and meeting with our supreme directors in 1961.

Pope John Paul II led the Church into the third millennium and had a special connection to the Knights of Columbus through a long list of projects throughout his papacy. It was our Order that co-sponsored his Mass with the Diocese of Brooklyn at Aqueduct Racetrack in 1995.

While we give thanks that these two popes will soon be canonized, we also pray for the beatification of our founder.

And I am happy to report that there is good news concerning Father McGivney’s Cause. A possible miracle attributed to his intercession is now under investigation in Rome. I encourage all Knights and their families to continue to pray for the canonization of Father McGivney and to report any favors received through his intercession to the Father McGivney Guild, whose membership now numbers 150,000 — a testament to the great devotion to our founder.

And if you are ever in New Haven, make the time to visit his tomb at St. Mary’s Church, and the Knights of Columbus OCTOBER 2013

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Museum with its display of his relics and an exhibit on his life.

Further to the south the Knights of Columbus operates another location that will also be of great interest to all Catholics.

As you know, the Knights of Columbus has established the Blessed John Paul II Shrine in Washington, D.C. This magnificent facility is undergoing a transformation that will enable it to effectively transmit the legacy and spirituality of John Paul the Great.

The shrine will be home to relics of John Paul II and a major exhibit on the life and thought of this courageous pope, whose life and teaching manifested God’s unshakeable love for the human person. The exhibits will occupy some 16,000 square feet of space and are being created with the help of expert designers. It will become a destination that will strengthen 40

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the faith of those who visit, and it will give them a deeper understanding of this saintly pope.

Our shrine will undoubtedly become a pilgrimage destination for the faithful from all over the world. It has already given the Knights of Columbus a central role in preserving and promoting the legacy of one of history’s greatest popes, and I encourage all of you to visit this shrine and to help organize pilgrimages to it from your jurisdictions.

For the first time in many years, a new series of booklets is being developed by the Knights of Columbus Catholic Information Service. The new 19-part series will cover the basic themes of the new evangelization and show that the new evangelization is not a “new” Christian message, but rather a new presentation of the joy of the Gospel in all its transforming power. The first five installments are now available in print and online.

With members throughout North and Central America, we have given a high priority to promoting Pope John Paul II’s vision of a united hemisphere.

One of John Paul’s most important initiatives in the Western Hemisphere was the convening of the Synod for

L’Osservatore Romano

Above: Supreme Knight Anderson and his wife, Dorian, are greeted

by Pope Benedict XVI following the pope’s address to the “Ecclesia in America” Conference in December 2012. • Left: The Blessed John Paul II Shrine in Washington, D.C. The 16,000-square-foot shrine is undergoing major renovations and will eventually be home to relics of John Paul II, as well as major exhibits on his life and teachings.

WYD: Courtesy of Salt and Light Media Foundation

Left: Matachines and Aztec dancers wearing colorful costumes perform on the field of Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum during the Aug. 5 Guadalupe Celebration. • Right: World Youth Day pilgrims stand with Bishop Bryan Bayda (second from right) of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saskatoon at the K of C-sponsored Vivo Rio Centre at World Youth Day 2013.

America in 1997. The synod brought together 41 cardinals, 98 bishops and 76 priests from throughout North and South America. Just over a year later, the pope traveled to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City to present Ecclesia in America, his apostolic exhortation based on the synod.

Last December, on the 15th anniversary of that event, the Knights of Columbus had the opportunity to co-sponsor with the Pontifical Commission for Latin America a conference on Ecclesia in America at the Vatican.

Members of the hierarchy — together with priests, religious and lay people from North, Central and South America — gathered together on the feast of St. Juan Diego, Dec. 9, and met for three days, concluding on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It was a great tribute to Blessed John Paul’s vision of the Americas as a single entity, and it focused on the need for authentic Catholic evangelization and cooperation among the countries of this most Catholic hemisphere.

It was a wonderful opportunity to present the challenges and opportunities facing the new evangelization in America, just a few months before the election of the first pope from the American continent.

We were privileged to have Pope Benedict address our conference, and I think his words apply to each of us here as well: “A renewed missionary spirit and zealous generosity in your commitment will be an irreplaceable contribution to what the universal Church expects and needs from the Church in America.”

In addition to our conference in Rome, our Guadalupe Celebration in Los Angeles last August brought the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe to tens of thousands of people.

The City News Service estimated that 75,000 people filled the L.A. Memorial Coliseum for this prayerful afternoon in the presence of the relic of St. Juan Diego’s miraculous tilma, or cloak. Given to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in the 1940s, it is the only known relic of the tilma in the United States.

Last fall, I returned to Los Angeles for the dedication of the

newly renovated Guadalupe Chapel at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, the construction of which was co-sponsored by our Order. The chapel will be the permanent home for the tilma relic, and as such, it is truly the home of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the United States.

And just a few days ago, in Brazil, the Knights of Columbus sponsored the English-language site at World Youth Day. Young people from throughout the English-speaking world came to the site at Vivo Rio, which was administered by the U.S. and Canadian bishops’ conferences, as an important part of their World Youth Day experience.

Locally, nationally and internationally, our Knights of Columbus councils and assemblies have provided extraordinary levels of support to their local churches during the past year.

True to our commitment to pastors since the time of Father McGivney, Knights have stepped up to help with parish projects large and small.

At Council 3338 in Ciudad Guzmán, Mexico Central, brother Knights constructed a walkway, plaza and covered pavilion in front of the Church of San Martín. Where rocks and dirt had been before, they created something beautiful.

In addition to manpower, Knights donated 15,000 pesos (approximately $1,100) toward the project.

These brother Knights were far from alone. Overall, Church donations from local and state councils totaled $49.5 million, of which $20 million went to church facilities, $7.4 million to Catholic schools and $5.9 million to direct assistance for seminarians. Another $1.9 million went to the seminaries where our future priests prepare themselves for lives of service.

Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI were both instrumental in the work of the Second Vatican Council, convened

by Pope John XXIII in 1962. It was with the council as a backdrop that Pope Francis studied for the priesthood, and one of the major documents of the council was the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, titled Gaudium et Spes.

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Some years later the Knights of Columbus established its highest honor: a special award by that same name, to be presented to individuals who had particularly distinguished themselves in the service of the Church. The first Gaudium et Spes Award was given to Mother Teresa in 1992. Other recipients have included Jean Vanier, Cardinal John O’Connor as well as many well-known members of the hierarchy.

And last November, I had the pleasure of presenting this award to another well-deserving recipient — past Supreme Knight Virgil Dechant. His dedication to the Church has lasted a lifetime, and his nearly three decades at the helm of our Order were a period of exceptional growth and accomplishment. Even in retirement, he has continued to serve the Church and this Order well.

As you know, there is a real need for television news programming for Catholics, because finding media coverage from an authentically Catholic perspective can be very difficult. So I am pleased to announce that the Knights of Columbus will be sponsoring EWTN’s newest show: EWTN News Nightly, with Colleen Carroll Campbell. The show will begin next month and I urge you to watch it. I have met the news team for this show, and they are impressive both in their Catholic identity and in their previous work with some of the biggest

television networks in the world. For news from a Catholic perspective, there will be no better show for brother Knights and all Catholics to watch.

Last year, we also continued our support for Salt and Light television, helping to bring quality Catholic programming to Canada.

The past fraternal year has also given us the opportunity to cooperate with the American bishops in their campaign to preserve and protect religious liberty — through their many efforts, including Fortnight for Freedom — in the United States.

Leading this effort as chairman of the U.S. Bishop’s Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty is our supreme chaplain, Archbishop William Lori. He and his brother bishops have done excellent work in speaking out in defense of our First Amendment Right to religious liberty, which is a gift from God. The stakes are high. Freedom of religion is often referred to as our “first freedom,” since it is the first right mentioned in the Bill of Rights. If religious freedom cannot be successfully defended in America, then no other freedom is safe. And the Knights of Columbus will always work alongside our bishops to protect this God-given right, enumerated in our country’s Constitution.

FAITHFUL C ITIZENSHIP Columbus was the one Catholic hailed in the 19th century as an American hero for his discovery of the New World. Father McGivney and those first brother Knights chose that name to make clear that one could be a faithful Catholic and a good citizen.

Now, as then, we are called to be both good citizens and faithful Catholics. We should not hesitate to point out that our faith makes us better citizens and that our society is a better place for the love and concern we have for our neighbors.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ socalled preventive services mandate, better known as the HHS mandate, is, unfortunately, only one of many legal and regulatory challenges that threaten the free exercise of religion in the United States and elsewhere around the world.

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The First Amendment guarantees our free exercise of religion. Those who would banish religion from the public square have been relentless in attempting to persuade the courts to stand the First Amendment on its head and give it a meaning completely contrary to its original intent. We must lead by the example of the good that we do, and we must not be silent in speaking up for our rights. For in a democracy, silence is not good citizenship — it is the antithesis of it.

We must show the world that it is love that motivates us to help and protect the poor, the widow, the orphan, the intellectually disabled, the cold and the hungry. And it is that same love that motivates us to work to help and protect families, marriage and the unborn. Even those who may disagree

OPPOSITE PAGE: John Whitman

When Father McGivney founded our Order in the basement of St. Mary’s Church, he and the men he gathered chose to identify as Knights of Columbus for a simple reason.

An honor guard of more than 100 Fourth Degree Knights participate in the Pilgrimage for Life and Liberty, held Oct. 14, 2012, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.

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with us should be honest enough to admit the consistency of our position, and even if they disagree with our positions, let them never impugn our motives. For our motivation is our Lord’s call to love of neighbor.

At our last annual meeting, I described our efforts to defend a monument that included a statue of Christ erected on Big Mountain in Whitefish, Mont., on land leased from the U.S. Forest Service. The Knights of Columbus and veterans of the 10th Mountain Division erected the statue 60 years ago to honor the fallen soldiers of World War II. An anti-religious group from Wisconsin filed suit against the U.S. Forest Service, trying to force it to remove the statue.

The Order intervened in the case, asking the federal court to vindicate the constitutional right of the Knights of Columbus to honor soldiers who had died for their country.

In late June, Federal District Judge Dana Christensen dismissed the lawsuit, holding that renewal of the permit for the monument, in his words, “does not constitute a government endorsement of a religious message and thus does not violate the Establishment Clause.” The monument, his opinion stated, “is steeped in the origins and history of Big Mountain and the surrounding community,” and the fact that the Knights of Columbus owns and maintains the statue means there is “no entanglement with religion.”

The soldiers of the Tenth Mountain Division who defended our freedom in World War II were good citizens. And in defending their monument, we have defended that legacy of good citizenship while engaging in an act of good citizenship ourselves.

Common sense and tolerance would both dictate that in a pluralistic society a religious symbol in the public square in no way establishes a religion and thus should be respected.

But some wish to divorce our country from the idea that our rights come not from the state but from God himself.

Professional atheists have also been staging a relentless battle involving the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance. The Knights of Columbus, which led the effort to persuade Congress to add

C ULTURE

the words “under God” to the Pledge in 1954, has been defending the Pledge for nearly a decade, beginning back in 2004. And we have been successful in turning back three separate lawsuits in federal courts in California and New Hampshire, where we won cases in both the First and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeal.

Now, atheists in Massachusetts have decided to try a challenge in state court. Supreme Advocate John Marrella helped coordinate the Knights of Columbus’ successful intervention in the case, and a year ago, a Massachusetts state court upheld the Pledge as constitutional. We will continue to defend the Pledge as the case is appealed.

Our position on the Pledge of Allegiance is simple and straightforward. The words “under God” do not somehow turn it into a prayer; they simply reaffirm the truth spoken in the Declaration of Independence, that we “are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights.” These rights are not the government’s to give or take away, and it is the government’s responsibility to protect and preserve them. In his inaugural address, President John F. Kennedy, a brother Knight, put it this way: “The rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.” We also agree with President Abraham Lincoln and, like him, we pray “that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom.”

In other words, my brother Knights, our defense of the Pledge of Allegiance, of the veterans’ monument and its statue on Big Mountain and of the rightful place of religion in public life puts us on the side of the fundamental principles that have guided America from the beginning. And you can be very proud of the fact that in defending these rights, we defend the rights of everyone. By recognizing that our rights come from God, not the state, we also recognize that these rights are permanent rather than subject to whims of the government. And by defending our rights, we engage in the political process in a way proper to devoted Catholic laymen, who are also good citizens.

OF

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Our work to defend God’s gift of religious freedom is inseparable from our work as protectors of another of his many gifts — the gift of life.

We continue to work to undo the HHS contraceptive mandate, which attempts to force us to violate our fundamental religious beliefs regarding abortion-inducing drugs, sterilization and contraception. I am confident that as has occurred already in many court cases, this ill-conceived 44

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mandate will ultimately be found unconstitutional. Our First Amendment right to religious freedom, which applies not only to Church institutions but to every believing individual in this country, protects us from having to violate our deeply held religious beliefs.

John Whitman

Knights of Columbus members and their families were among the hundreds of thousands of attendees at the 2013 March for Life.

And even as we continue to defend our religious liberty from the HHS mandate, our pro-life initiatives reached a new milestone in July.

I am pleased to report to you that through the Order’s Ultrasound Initiative, the Knights of Columbus has now donated ultrasound machines to pregnancy resource centers in Canada, Jamaica and in all 50 of the United States. In less than five years, our ultrasound program — in which the Supreme Council and state and local councils share the cost of providing machines to pregnancy centers — has donated more than 380 machines worth $20 million, and this technology is saving lives every day.

Knights in Texas and Missouri are leading the way, with 31 and 29 ultrasound machines, respectively, followed by Michigan with 25, California with 25 and Florida with 22.

The latest ultrasound technology provides a remarkably clear and vivid picture of the baby in the womb, and when a woman is able to see her child growing within her, the evidence suggests that she is much more likely to carry her child to term.

The Knights of Columbus has stepped in to meet this critical need, and in doing so we are helping to turn the tide in favor of life.

Each year since 2008, the Knights of Columbus-Marist Poll has sampled public opinion regarding abortion, going beyond the typical “are you pro-life or pro-choice” question that most polls use. If you ask people whether they would place limits

on abortion, an overwhelming majority would do so. This year, our polling found that 83 percent of Americans favor significant restrictions on abortion, up four points from the previous year. Only 11 percent would allow abortion at any time, and only 6 percent would allow it during the first six months of pregnancy. The rest would favor restrictions far broader than those that exist in this country today.

In other words, laws like the one recently passed in Texas that protect an unborn baby after 20 weeks aren’t just a step in the right direction, they also resonate with more than 8 in 10 Americans. And this shouldn’t just be the law in Texas.

Until the day that Roe v. Wade is overturned and the right to life of everyone is respected, every state in the country should follow Texas’ lead by taking whatever steps they can to protect the unborn.

American public opinion is moving in favor of human life.

And of course, we continue to call on our lawmakers to protect the life of all, born and unborn.

Once again, this year Knights of Columbus were extremely active in the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., in January, and in similar events throughout the United States; in the Canadian March for Life in Ottawa in May, which I attended with Deputy Supreme Knight Dennis Savoie; in Marches for Life throughout the Philippines in March; as well as in marches in three cities in Mexico and five in Poland. Many young people attend these marches, and it is a sign of hope that like us, the next generation will OCTOBER 2013

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OTTAWA: Jake Wright

Clockwise from top: Supreme Knight and Mrs. Anderson stand with the Sisters of Life at the 2013 March for Life in Ottawa. The New York-based religious community expanded to Toronto, Canada, in 2007. • The supreme knight addresses the pro-life rally preceding the March for Life in Ottawa. • The Knights of Columbus was well represented at the 2013 March for Life in Washington, D.C., and at similar events nationwide.

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continue to work to protect the life of everyone — even the Pope Francis’ new encyclical makes clear why our work to smallest and most helpless among us. support marriage and family is so important. He writes this: The Order was founded by Father McGivney to help “The first setting in which faith enlightens the human those on the margins of society and to protect their dignity, city is the family. I think first and foremost of the stable livelihood and faith. That mission continues today as union of man and woman in marriage. This union is born Knights in every jurisdiction build a culture of life and a of their love, as a sign and presence of God’s own love, and civilization of love that protects those on the margins. In of the acknowledgment and acceptance of the goodness of Father McGivney’s time, those on the margins were the poor sexual differentiation, whereby spouses can become one widows and orphans, recent immigrants and their families. flesh (cf. Gen 2:24) and are enabled to give birth to a new Today, the margins have grown to include the unborn and life, a manifestation of the Creator’s goodness, wisdom and the disabled. The Knights of Columbus is committed to loving plan” (52). protecting the dignity and right to life of all. We work esSo, my brother Knights, our support for the family and pecially to help those on the margins of society because they for a culture of life is inseparable. Knights of Columbus often have no voice but ours. We do all that we do peacehave worked hard on behalf of both. The circumstances fully and in a spirit of love. We help those in need wherever that threaten life or the family may change. Our work in we can, and through our charity support of them may have a difand by working through the legferent emphasis in one country islative and legal process, we or another. But the guiding So let us go forward together seek to make our society even principle remains the same: Be more just and even more reprotectors of God’s gifts — of as brother Knights, faithful spectful of God’s gifts. life, of human dignity, of marWe did much to support the riage and of the family.

Catholics and good citizens, cause of life in the last fraternal The culture of life and civilizarenewed in our commitment year, with councils and assemtion of love will not be built blies reporting expenditures of overnight. But we will continue and steadfast in our more than $11.6 million on proto work day and night to build life projects. them through our example, our determination to be And in this work we have the words and our prayers. protectors of God’s gifts. excellent example of Pope FranIn Lumen Fidei, Pope Francis cis, who has shown such a deep reminds us that the Lord is not commitment to the life and digonly the Lord of individuals, but nity of every human being. We have also the example of his that he is the Lord of nations and of history. He quotes from predecessors, popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Paul VI and the Letter to the Hebrews, which tells us that “God is not our many wonderful bishops and priests, who have consisashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a tently advocated for human life and dignity at every stage city for them” (Heb 11:16). and in every circumstance.

Then Pope Francis asks a very dramatic question. He In his first encyclical, Lumen Fidei, Pope Francis tells us: writes: “Could it be the case, instead, that we are the ones “At the heart of biblical faith is God’s love, his concrete conwho are ashamed to call God our God? That we are the cern for every person, and his plan of salvation which emones who fail to confess him as such in our public life?” braces all of humanity and all creation …. Without insight (55). into these realities, there is no criterion for discerning what I do not know what answer others may make. But I feel makes human life precious and unique. Man loses his place confident today that I may answer this question on behalf in the universe, he is cast adrift” (54). of the Knights of Columbus.

This is why our witness is so important.

We will never be ashamed to admit that everything we This is why a charity that evangelizes is so important. have that is good comes as a gift from the Lord. We will In each act of charity, we affirm the dignity of every never be ashamed to call God our God or be ashamed of our human person, God’s love for each person and that there is determination to be one nation under God. a place for every person — that no one should be cast adrift, We will always remember the words of Pope Francis: that we are all united.

“Faith illumines life and society.” Faith makes us better citiIn each act of charity we can speak these truths to the zens, better citizens make better nations, and better nations world in a way that words alone never can. make a better world.

We cannot speak of the culture of life without also speakSo let us go forward together as brother Knights, faithful ing of the family. As an Order founded from the beginning Catholics and good citizens, renewed in our commitment to protect the family, we will always continue to protect and steadfast in our determination to be protectors of Catholic families and witness to an authentic, Catholic viGod’s gifts. sion of the family.

Vivat Jesus!

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Historic Mission Concepcion in San Antonio

OFFICIAL OCT. 1, 2013: To owners of Knights of Columbus insurance policies and persons responsible for payment of premiums on such policies: Notice is hereby given that in accordance with the provisions of Section 84 of the Laws of the Order, payment of insurance premiums due on a monthly basis to the Knights of Columbus by check made payable to Knights of Columbus and mailed to same at PO Box 1492, NEW HAVEN, CT 06506-1492, before the expiration of the grace period set forth in the policy. In Canada: Knights of Columbus, Place d’Armes Station, P.O. Box 220, Montreal, QC H2Y 3G7 ALL MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOS, ARTWORK, EDITORIAL MATTER, AND ADVERTISING INQUIRIES SHOULD BE MAILED TO: COLUMBIA, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901. REJECTED MATERIAL WILL BE RETURNED IF ACCOMPANIED BY A SELF-ADDRESSED ENVELOPE AND RETURN POSTAGE. PURCHASED MATERIAL WILL NOT BE RETURNED. OPINIONS BY WRITERS ARE THEIR OWN AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS. SUBSCRIPTION RATES — IN THE U.S.: 1 YEAR, $6; 2 YEARS, $11; 3 YEARS, $15. FOR OTHER COUNTRIES ADD $2 PER YEAR. EXCEPT FOR CANADIAN SUBSCRIPTIONS, PAYMENT IN U.S. CURRENCY ONLY. SEND ORDERS AND CHECKS TO: ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901.

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Residents of a village in Malawi, Africa, connect a water pipe while working to repair a well. Members of Pilot Point (Texas) Council 2045 and Msgr. Paul K. Charcut Assembly collected liturgical items for the Catholic community in Malawi, and two Knights traveled to Africa with a team of six others to deliver the items and to work on infrastructure projects. Among the most pressing problems was repairing a well that is the village’s sole source of drinking water for residents and livestock.

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PLEASE, DO ALL YOU CAN TO ENCOURAGE PRIESTLY AND RELIGIOUS VOCATIONS. YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

KEEP T H E F A I T H A L I V E

Throughout my childhood, my father’s military career kept our family traveling. Wherever we went, we joined the local Catholic community. This upbringing taught me that whatever else might change in life, family unity and fidelity to God are important.

In college I made good friends at the Catholic Campus Center. One friend encouraged me to stop and visit our eucharistic Lord on the way to class. After forming the habit of visiting Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, I found myself drawn to him; I couldn’t pass any Catholic church without acknowledging him.

Before following my vocation, I knew I wanted to spend my life bringing Christ to others. It wasn’t enough to do good works in my spare time. I felt the need to give more, to give radically, to give all.

As a sister and educator, the Lord entrusts me with some of his young disciples every day.

I learn a lot from my students, my spiritual children. Teaching, prayer and sacrifice are all effective ways to help bring about God’s kingdom on earth.

SISTER JOHN MARIE ZWENGER

Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Wichita, Kan.

Photo by Avion Photography, Wichita, Kan.

‘I FELT THE NEED TO GIVE MORE’